


Falling To The Ground

by orphan_account



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: Bitterness, Canon-Typical Violence, Creepypasta, Family Secrets, Friendship, Guilt, Mental Health Issues, Mental Hospital, Past Relationship(s), Resentment, Self-Hatred, Survivor Guilt, Traumatized
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-15 02:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 32,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13603419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A Marble Hornets fanfiction.  The story takes place after Entry #87 from Tim's perspective.  Could a chance encounter on a train have an impact on Tim's life?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/356019) by Landriel. 



> This is an improved English translation of Landriel's original work in German. Landriel has given me her permission to post this. I have completed all the chapters and will be posting them over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the story!

 

 "Would you like to buy something?"

 Tim was startled. He raised his head and looked up. The vendor stood over him giving him a questioning smile. His gaze flashed briefly over the packets of sweets and miniature bottles of Coke.

 "No, thank you," he replied before turning back to his newspaper.

 She kept on looking at him. "Are you all right? You don't look it."

 Tim looked anything but all right. With the dark circles around his eyes, his tousled hair, unshaven face and dirty clothes, he really did not give the impression of a healthy man. It was only with difficulty that he managed to suppress an annoyed sigh. "I'm fine."

 The vendor decided not to ask him any more questions and pushed her trolley past his compartment.

 Tim sighed again, but this time it was one of relief due to finally being left alone. He had deliberately chosen one of the quiet compartments. He had to think. About himself, his life, everything that had happened recently. Too much had happened, things he could never forget. And all of it was his fault, his fault alone. No matter how many times he had tried to convince himself that it had been Jay who had caused the chaos in his search for Alex, it had been he himself who had agreed to join the cast of _Marble Hornets_ with Brian. He had been the one running around in the woods wearing a mask, he had been the one who had agreed to meet with Jay, even though he was the only one to do so. He had been the one who allowed Jay to go to Benedict Hall. He was responsible for Jay getting shot. He had killed Alex. He, Tim Wright, was to blame for everything. And yet here he was, sitting on a train, instead of being dead which was what he deserved.

 "Are these seats taken?"

 The door was slammed open and someone entered. Tim turned his head to look at the intruder, or rather, the troublemaker.

 She was a girl, approximately fifteen years old, quite small for her age. She had shoulder-length brown hair. Her eyes reminded him of chocolate, dominated by two thick eyebrows whose pointed edges made her look a little stern. Her mouth was very narrow in contrast to her broad nose. She wore a black hoodie emblazoned with the words "I LOVE ROCK".

 All in all, she was nothing out of the ordinary, yet she somewhat reminded Tim of himself. Before he could answer her question, she had seated herself down beside him.

 "I'm Lia, what's your name?" she asked, stretching out her hand, the fingernails of which had been chewed far down.

 "Tim," he replied irritably, shaking her hand.

 When his skin came into contact with her, he felt a shock. An inner shock which emanated from his heart and sent warm shivers through his body. He quickly broke away from the handshake.

 Lia dug out an iPod from her backpack and inserted her earphones. She did not talk to him for the rest of the trip, but he could sense her looking at him occasionally.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim reaches his destination, but there is a surprise waiting for him when he turns on his laptop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.  
> This is an improved English translation of Landriel's original work in German. Landriel has given me her permission to post this. I have completed all the chapters and will be posting them over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the story!

Tim did not know where he was going. He had simply boarded the nearest train at Decatur. He looked at the display over the door of the carriage.

 

> **FINAL DESTINATION: MONTGOMERY**

 

Montgomery. Damn, he had wanted to get out of Alabama! But he had just arrived in the capital instead.

Frustrated, he grabbed his luggage as the train stopped and stormed towards the platform. He threw his bag over his shoulder and got off the train. Hastily, he snaked his way through the crowds, anxious not to touch anyone. But the exit seemed to get further away with each of his steps. On top of all that, a piercing pain spread through his head. _Oh no!_ Tim began to run, the sound of his shoes hitting the ground echoing in his ears. He ran until his lungs were ready to burst and his vision began to blur.

Then...air. Fresh, cool evening air. He had made it, he was outside. Breathing heavily, he leaned against a street light. _Deep breaths, Tim. In and out, in and out. Calm down, everything is fine._

When Tim felt he had recovered, he stood up straight. After looking around for a short while, he located an available taxi. He went up to it and tapped on the glass. The driver lowered the window.

"Excuse me, could you take me to the nearest hotel?"

"There's one just a few blocks away, son," the old man said, gesturing for Tim to get in the car.

Tim pressed a bill into his hand and was dropped off a few minutes later. In front of him stood a wide building painted in immaculate white. Each window was shaded and reflected the sunlight so that he had to squint his eyes. He entered with a sigh. Hopefully this place wouldn't be too expensive.

A single room cost forty dollars. That was too expensive, he'd have to look for something else. So that meant Tim could only stay there for one night. He gave his name, paid, took the key and headed for his room. Room 483, on the top floor. Just to sweeten his day even more, he had to take the stairs.

When he finally reached his room, he collapsed on the bed and took his laptop out of his bag. Even though he felt foolish for doing so, he still checked his email inbox every day even though his mother had not contacted him since the filming of _Marble Hornets_.

_"Give it up, pal! Do you think a mother who put her son in a mental hospital would still be interested in him?"_

With an angry grunt, he silenced the voice in his head. The voice which was all too fond of sarcastic comments and was the personality that sometimes seized control of him, invaded him. But as long as he took his pills, it was merely a voice.

He focused again on the screen. Instead of his browser homepage, a YouTube channel was displayed.

totheark had uploaded a new video: **Revival** _ **.**_

 _No, this can't be happening! This is impossible! It was all over after Entry #87!_ Whoever was behind totheark had no reason to be sending him messages.

_Maybe...Maybe someone has hacked the channel as a joke?_

But Tim knew that this wasn't the case. With a shaking hand, he moved the mouse cursor over to the video link and clicked.

The screen was black at first, then white numbers appeared.

 

> **074 097 121 046 032 079 112 101 114 097 116 111 114 046 032 076 101 098 101 110 032 111 100 101 114 032 084 111 100**

 

The numbers vanished just as quickly as they had appeared, a blurred red streak floated past, accompanied by what sounded like a rusty nail being scraped over a record. Then a mask. No, it wasn't Tim's. This one was made of plaster and was painted orange.

 

> **NEED SOME HELP?**

 

This ended the video and left Tim feeling very confused and frightened. What could all this mean? Someone wanted to tell him something, he was sure of that. Even though he was very reluctant to do so, he decided to watch the whole thing again. The numbers were the only thing that made sense to him. It was probably a code. He dragged the slider to the correct frame in the video and wrote all the numbers down. Then he opened Google. The search term "number to text converter" took him to the right place. He typed the numbers into the white text box and looked at the transforming letters with growing horror.

 

> **Jay. Operator. Life or death.**

 

 _Jay? Jay's dead, so why should...And what does "Operator" mean?_ _Life or death?_ _Do I need help?_ _Maybe it's not me who needs help, but Jay? Life or death! Could it be that Jay isn't dead?_ But Tim had seen his dead body with his own eyes, the gunshot wound, the blood. But on the other hand, it wasn't too far-fetched a theory after everything he had been through. But if that was the case, why had Jay not contacted him? He would just have to figure that out for himself.

With a fresh determination, Tim packed his belongings, opened the door and...walked straight into someone. The girl from the train.

"Lia?" he asked. He was gradually becoming suspicious. "Are you stalking me?"

A nervous smile spread across her face. "I wouldn't call it stalking," she said. "I want to help you. I'll help you find Jay."

"How do you know...?"

With a strength he would not have expected from someone of her size, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards the opposite end of the corridor. She opened a small window.

"Climb down the steps!"

Tim was about to ask her why they had to use the emergency stairs but then decided against it when he saw her expression.

After a deep breath, he climbed out of the window and descended the metal steps one by one. The railing felt cold on his hand.

After what felt like an eternity, he felt the asphalt under his feet.

Lia descended the stairs without hesitation, as if she had spent her life doing just that. Perhaps she had, after all, Tim did not know anything about her.

"There's a car round the back," she explained, and he followed her into the parking lot behind the hotel, which was in the shadows.

"How did you manage to hire a car?" he asked.

"I have my methods," she replied.

She sat down in the passenger seat and told him to drive.

"I'll just put my bag in the back," he muttered.

Lia's cry of "Not the trunk!" came too late. Tim pressed his hand over his mouth to suppress a scream. There was a man in the trunk, bound and gagged. The back of his head was covered in blood.

"Don't worry, it's just a laceration. I had to knock him out," he heard her say.

"You just stole a stranger's car and stuffed him in the trunk?" His voice grew more shrill with every word and almost cracked.

Lia sighed, turned around and got back in the car. "Do you want to find Jay or not?"

Tim had to admit to himself that she was right. The man in the trunk was the least of his problems. He threw down his bag, slammed the trunk shut and sat down behind the wheel. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Marble Hornets fanfiction. Tim searches for an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.  
> This is an improved English translation of Landriel's original work in German. Landriel has given me her permission to post this. I have completed all the chapters and will be posting them over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the story!

"So you think he's here?" Lia looked at Tim.

"When you lose something, you always look in the last place you saw it, right?"

He tried to swallow the huge lump in his throat before he walked through the crumbling opening which had once been a door.

Lia followed him and they walked together through the deserted corridors. The icy wind whistled through the holes in the walls and caused leaves and dust to swirl around. Broken shards of glass and chunks of fallen plaster cracked beneath their feet.

The further they went into the abandoned hospital, the more uncomfortable Tim felt. He hated this place. The memories of the hours he had spent alone in his room staring at the white walls or screaming on the floor were too painful. The kids in college used to call him Creepy Timothy.

A groan interrupted his thoughts. At first, he thought it was another of his memories, but the moaning continued and he eventually realized that the sound did not originate from inside his head. It was coming from the end of the hall. Jay! Tim ran furiously, spraying dirt, stones, plaster and leaves in all directions as he went. At the end of the hall, a wooden board leaning against the wall was blocking his path. He hurled it out of the way effortlessly, as if it were nothing. The hole in the wall revealed something big lying slumped on the ground. As they got closer, they realised it was a body — Jay's body! Tim ran to him, he fell to his knees next to his friend.

"Jay? Shit, Jay! Can you hear me?" With trembling fingers, he shook Jay by the shoulder.

Jay's chest was rising and falling. Maybe he wasn't in the best shape, but at least he was breathing, at least he was alive! Tim carefully turned him over. There was a hole in Jay's shirt just above the hip, which was surrounded by a red circle. Swallowing, he pulled up the fabric of the shirt. The pale skin was mostly intact, except for a jagged shape which resembled a vaccination scar.

"Tim...What the..." Jay's eyes opened wide and he stared at Tim from two green irises before his eyelids closed again.

"It's all right, Jay, everything's gonna be all right," Tim assured him hastily as he tried to work out the best way to lift him.

"Wait, I'll help you." Lia knelt next to him and together they lifted Jay to his feet.

Tim and Lia each grasped one of Jay's arms and propped him up between them. The three of them then stumbled back to the car.

"Where now?" Tim asked, nervously looking at Jay who was lying on the back seat behind them.

Lia gave a wry smile. "Now we're going home."

 

******

 

Lia's home turned out to be a small hunting lodge with a porch at the edge of the forest, hidden by a row of trees.

"So you live here?" Tim said.

"With my father, of course." She rolled her eyes.

What kind of man was Lia's father? He could hardly imagine someone buying such a house for himself and his daughter. Unless he had something to hide...

Lia pulled a large rusty iron key out of her pants pocket and inserted it into the lock. She turned the key and a few dull snapping sounds followed, then the door creaked open. On the other side of the door was a huge locking device made of noisy gears and bolts. Either Lia's father had an exaggerated fear of burglars or he really did have something to hide. Tim was more inclined to believe the latter.

Upon entering, he found himself in the living room. Fireplace, sofa, table, kitchenette – it was very sparsely furnished, no TV or computer, just a bunch of old books. He hoped there was hot water, at least.

"When will your father be home?" Tim asked as he looked around the room.

Lia shrugged. "No idea. Sometimes he's only away for a few hours and sometimes he's gone for days. But he should be back by tonight."

Tim snorted disapprovingly. Not only did her father live in a secluded house with security locks, but he also left his daughter home alone for days on end.

He turned to her forcefully. "We should bring Jay inside." He needed to focus on his own problems for now.

Tim anxiously swept Jay's hair back from his forehead and felt his temperature. There was no change in his condition. In the meantime, Jay had come round a few times. He had spoken of Alex and asked for Jessica before passing out again. Tim had thought about taking Jay to a hospital, but what would he tell the doctors? That his friend had miraculously returned from the dead after getting shot? Had Jay ever actually died at all? Where had that thing dragged him away to? And if Jay had survived, was the same true for Alex? He could still remember exactly how he had stabbed him in the neck and the sensation of the warm blood covering his hands.

A shiver ran down Tim's spine at the thought that Alex could be out there somewhere with the intention of killing them all. _Always keep fighting, remember? Remember your motto!_

He took a deep swig from his beer bottle. The cool liquid brought him to his senses. Maybe he should go check on Lia. A good few hours had passed and she had still not come out of her room.

The door was slightly open and Tim was about to knock when he heard a strange voice. Lia was talking to someone. Filled with curiosity, he put his ear to the door.

"So you found him then, Lia?"

"Yes, but I don't know if he's ready to learn the truth."

"He has a right to know."

So the encounter on the train hadn't been a coincidence after all! He had known all along that there had been more to it! Tim stormed into the hallway where Lia's backpack lay. He tore it open and tipped the contents out all over the floor. He saw a pack of chewing gum, a water bottle, her iPod and an ID card. He grabbed the card and held it up in front of his face. Now he would finally discover who Lia really was and what she was up to.

 

> **NAME: LIA WRIGHT**
> 
> **PLACE OF BIRTH: TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA**
> 
> **HEIGHT: 4 FEET 9 INCHES**
> 
> **EYE COLOR: BROWN**
> 
> **HAIR COLOR: BROWN**

 

He couldn't read any more. He didn't want to read any more. Tears blurred his vision and he stuffed his fist into his mouth and bit firmly on it to suppress his sobs. He couldn't cry now! He had to stay strong. For Jay.

A hand was laid on his shoulder and Tim turned his head. _Speak of the devil!_

"Your ID is fake!" he shouted at her. "You can't have been born in Tuscaloosa! And your surname can't be Wright, that would mean you..."

He was silent for a moment as the realization dawned on him. "Are you my sister?"

Lia shrugged. "Dad had something different planned for the family reunion."

Now Tim was awash with rage. It made its way from his stomach and coursed through his veins, pulsing and burning like lava. His jaw muscles trembled and his tongue curled, ready to spit out the hurtful words he was so desperate to purge himself of.

"And what exactly was the _plan_?! Did you think that I just wouldn't mind you crashing into my life out of the blue after all the _shit_ I've been through?! Why have I been kept in the dark about this for all these years, huh?! Would it have been so _difficult_ to send me a Christmas card saying, 'Hi Tim, I'm your sister and I'd like to meet you. Happy Holidays.'?!"

Lia took a step back with each reproachful question. Tears welled up in her dark eyes and her lips quivered. "I found a photo of you in the attic six months ago. That's how I found out that I was adopted. I searched for Timothy Wright on the Internet and I came across the Marble Hornets channel. I watched all the videos. I even went on the deep web to try to find people who might have been able to contact you. Then I found our father. I ran away from home to meet with him. When I showed him everything I'd found, it was clear to us that we had to find you. So I went to Alabama and watched you for a while. When you boarded that train, it was the perfect opportunity."

Tim raised a hand to indicate to her that she didn't need to carry on but Lia didn't even notice it.

"I don't blame you for being like this, but have you thought about what it's been like for me? I spent six months looking for you. I was so happy when I finally found you. Can you imagine how it feels when you've just met your brother for the first time and then he's suddenly screaming in your face?"

"You of all people should know better. As her big brother, you should take responsibility."

Tim whirled around to see who the voice belonged to and he stood face to face with the other man. Brown eyes, prominent eyebrows, dark hair, even the slight bend in the nose was the same.

"Welcome to the family, Timothy."

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay regains consciousness and Tim learns a little family history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.  
> This is an improved English translation of Landriel's original work in German. Landriel has given me her permission to post this. I have completed all the chapters and will be posting them over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the story!

Jay froze as Alex suddenly appeared in the hallway. He looked perfectly normal standing there; his jacket hanging loosely around his shoulders, his glasses resting slightly askew upon his nose. Perfectly normal, that is, until he raised his arm. Jay stood and stared as if he were paralyzed by the barrel of the gun.

"Alex," he said through trembling lips. "No!"

Then everything seemed to happen very fast. A loud bang, a searing pain in his stomach...

Jay woke up drenched in sweat. His stomach suddenly sank and he threw up all over the sofa. _Wait a minute...The sofa? Am I out of Rosswood now?_ Jay looked around confused. The midday sun shone into his eyes and he had to blink a few times before he could see properly. He was in a living room. The furniture consisted only of the bare essentials; dining table, chairs, shelves. He looked around for a TV in vain. _Where the hell am I?_

"So you're the famous Jay Merrick," a voice said.

It belonged to a girl. Fairly small in stature, brown hair. Jay had never seen her before.

"You're nearly standing in my puke," he joked.

She looked down at her sneakers. With a surprised "Oh!", she stepped to one side.

"Can I have something to eat?" he asked immediately in an attempt at diversion from the awkward situation.

The girl raised an eyebrow but said nothing else. She opened several cupboards, took out something in a plastic packet, a jar of some kind of sauce and a pan and stood by the stove.

"I hope you like pasta because that's all we have," she said without looking at him.

The authoritative way in which she started to cook seemed familiar to him. The feeling intensified when she began to hum _Smoke On The Water_ while she was stirring the contents of the pan.

"Do I smell spaghetti?"

Jay would have recognized this voice amongst thousands. The voice that had yelled at him, but had also laughed with him and cried with him. It was almost a miracle to see its owner now standing by the door.

"Tim?"

"Jay!" His lungs were painfully squeezed as the dark-haired man rushed over and hugged him. "Must be nice to be among the living again!"

Another man appeared behind Tim who looked like an older version of his friend. Perplexed, Jay looked back and forth between the two.

"My father," Tim said, patting the chair beside him at the table.

Jay sat down. "I thought you didn't have a father. He wasn't mentioned in your medical records, only your mother."

Tim sighed. "I thought so too until recently."

"I should also mention that we're not a normal family," added Mr Wright as he took the pan of spaghetti from Lia.

"Of course we're not, that would be far too easy," said Tim bitterly.

Ignoring his son's sarcasm, Tim's father sat down at the table. For a moment, he poked nervously at his food. He suddenly put his fork down and cleared his throat. "Have you ever heard of Creepypasta?"

Tim's eyebrows shot up. "Creepypasta?"

"Aren't they those horror stories from the Internet?" Jay interjected. Being someone who spent as much time online as he did, it was no surprise that he was already familiar with the term.

Mr Wright let out a deep sigh before continuing with his story. "They are more than just stories. _Jeff the Killer_ , _BEN Drowned_ , _Eyeless Jack_ , everything written about them is more or less true. People who experience something terrible under extraordinary circumstances become a Creepypasta, or a 'Creep' for short. It's very rare, but it is possible for the child of a Creep to inherit certain Creep genes. Now, let's get to the point of how Tim and Lia came to be. I became a Creep when a work colleague got drunk and wanted to take revenge on me for the fact that I had made out with his present wife at the Senior Prom. He beat me unconscious with a shovel. Since we were working as grave diggers, he decided to throw me into a freshly dug grave and bury me alive. A few years later, I met Janet. Tim was born nine months later. But then Janet found my fake ID cards and credit cards and confronted me. I tried to explain everything to her, but she just called me a monster and told me to leave. Ten years passed and I met a woman in a bar and some time later, she gave birth to Lia. The woman worked as a stripper and didn't want to keep Lia, so I put her up for adoption. Well, now fate has brought us all together again."

A long pause followed. The spaghetti on the plates remained untouched.

"I think I need my pills," said Tim, accompanied by a cough.

He rummaged in his jacket pocket and pulled out an orange plastic bottle with a white screw cap. Just as he was about to shake out a pill into the palm of his hand, his father intercepted it from the mouth of the bottle. Mr Wright inspected the little white object and licked it.

"Your doctor has tricked you," he said firmly. "These are placebos."

For a moment, it seemed as if Tim was frozen. He sat there stiff, his eyes wide open, his mouth slightly agape. With a thump, his head crashed down on the plate! Tomato sauce flew in all directions!

"Hey! Direct hit!" Lia shouted.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Marble Hornets fanfiction.
> 
> Tim and Jay search for more information about Tim's father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.  
> This is an improved English translation of Landriel's original work in German. Landriel has given me her permission to post this. I have completed all the chapters and will be posting them over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the story!

 

He ran through the woods. Branches and thorny twigs tore the fabric of his jeans and scratched his legs. It was dark and his field of vision was limited to two holes. He wore a mask, _his_ mask. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was the terrible pain in his head, which drilled deeper and deeper and bore into his brain. The pain that would get worse, would kill him. He had to hurry! If he let his master down, he would be punished and punishment was not good. Then he heard something. A soft throbbing, getting louder and louder. A heartbeat. He turned to the left. Two figures appeared before him, both middle-aged men. Perfect! He reached down to his belt and grasped the handle of his knife. Only a few inches separated him from his victims. He aimed the knife towards his targets. The last thing he saw were their shocked faces, then he struck!

"Tim? Can you hear me?"

Tim opened his eyes and saw Jay kneeling beside him, staring anxiously at him.

"What happened?" he murmured in confusion.

"You passed out at lunch. Don't you remember?" his friend explained.

_Oh, yes. Lunch. Just try not to think about that._ Grumbling, he rubbed his head. He felt dizzy, as if he'd been on a carousel ride five times in a row. He could really use a pill right now. But they didn't work anyway, he thought bitterly. During his last appointment, his doctor must have written placebos on his prescription without him noticing. How long had this been going on? Definitely too long. Did his mother know about it...? He had to stop thinking about her. His mother was miles away from him and she was probably pleased about that fact. The only parent he had here was his father. Tim shuddered at the thought of him.

"Jay," he said, "I don't think my father is telling us everything. I mean, what happened to him in the years before he met my mother and the ten years before Lia was born?"

Jay shrugged helplessly. "No idea. He probably just tried to get on with his life."

Tim shook his head furiously. "No, there must be more to it than he's admitting to." He stood up and placed his hands on Jay's shoulders. "Listen, you're the one who likes to expose secrets, right? You have to help me, I can't do this without you."

Jay's already rather large eyes widened even more and his green irises were already gleaming with anticipation. "I just need my camera!"

 

******

 

The camera was a silver Sony, more precisely a Sony HDR-SR5. Jay had bought it in 2006, at the time of the production of _Marble Hornets_. Although many terrible images and scenes had been captured by this device, he still felt attached to it. It was fortunate that Tim had kept it in his backpack.

Tim breathed a small sigh of relief as he wedged the chair under the door handle of Lia's bedroom. Jay had at first been opposed to keeping Lia out of the matter, but Tim thought it was for the best for the time being. Unlike him, Lia had been brought up by adoptive parents without her knowledge. It must have shattered her entire world view when she found out the truth. Yet she seemed happy here with her father. He didn't want to take even the illusion of a family away from her.

The basement hatch creaked open and a cloud of dust billowed out. Then the two men leaned forward to try to ascertain how far down the staircase led. Three steps were visible, followed by blackness.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Jay asked as he activated the night-vision mode on his camera and descended the first step.

_"Yeah, maybe like Jessica still being alive? Or the Hooded Man being Brian?"_

"Shut up," Tim hissed to the second personality in his mind.

He knew that it was wrong of him to keep secrets from Jay. Sooner or later he would be forced to lay all his cards on the table. But as long as the decision was still his to make, he would keep it all to himself. He simply couldn't tell Jay about Jessica, Brian, or the awful nightmares that had been plaguing him so much lately.

"Let's just get this over with before Lia wakes up and realizes we've locked her in," he replied, following his partner into the darkness.

Even though the basement was larger than the size of the house would suggest, it wasn't very impressive. There were wide wooden shelves on the walls with yellowed books laying on them, the windows were boarded up with thick planks of wood, and a moth-eaten carpet lay on the floor. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling, along with a rusty pipe from which water dripped constantly.

Tim groaned in frustration. They'd been down there for an hour now, reading books, looking under the carpet and tapping on the walls in search of hidden rooms. All without success. Jay was getting frustrated too. With a snort, he angrily turned away from a pile of moldy pillows and collided with a desk in the corner.

Click!

Surprised, Tim turned around. The desk was made of dark mahogany with brass fittings. How could they not have noticed this before? Typical! Cautiously, he walked over to the piece of furniture. One of the drawers had slid open and now presented itself invitingly. Jay rushed to view the contents, the camera focused on his actions. He reached inside the drawer with his free hand and took out a small leather-bound book.

"John Wright" was printed in curly letters on the cover.

"Th-That's my father's name," Tim stammered.

"Yes! It's his diary, his memoirs. Just what we've been looking for!" Jay said triumphantly, zooming the camera in on the book. "We need to read it."

 

> **12/18/1995**
> 
> **I had to make a decision. HE forced me to do this. Timothy is strong and he will become much stronger when he is older. I am so incredibly surprised how similar to me he looks. His height is the only thing he gets from his mother. HE has been watching Timothy since he was born. I do not want this fate for my son, but I have no choice. If anything happens, I will notify my contacts.**
> 
> **Lace Idle: Lenora Street**
> 
> **Jean Creel: Walker Street**
> 
> **Dinar Frosh: Cottonwood Road**

 

"Lenora Street and Walker Street aren't far from here!" Tim yelled.

"Let's go," Jay replied, and was already on his way up the stairs.

Tim didn't think this was a good idea. God knows what kind of people his father associated with. What interested him more was who this ominous "HE" was. But since he knew his father wouldn't tell him himself, these people were his only leads. He reluctantly pocketed the book and followed his friend.

They were just about to grab the house key from the hook and switch off the light in the hall when they heard a noise. Lia stood at the foot of the stairs, dressed in a trench coat and boots, ready to go out.

"Lia...how...did you...?" Tim started to speak but was interrupted by her.

"I want to come with you."

Jay opened his mouth but didn't get the chance to say anything.

"I know what you're up to. I'm not stupid. And I want to come too." She laid an emphasis on the last few syllables, which suggested that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

 

******

 

The house of Jean Creel was painted in a plain white, while the roof was red. How dull. Jean herself completed the picture with her tightly pinned-up red hair and black blazer. Tim handed her the book. The woman perused it for a while, nodding frequently while she did so. The way she did this reminded Tim of his doctors reading his medical records. He did not like her.

"Well? What's the big secret now?" he asked irritably.

Jean returned the book and shook her head. "Your father simply told me that you should discover it page by page. He has hidden eight pages containing partial information. There are eight people, each has information about one page."

She took a pen from her breast pocket and wrote down some numbers.

"Coordinates," Jay said.

Tim grunted something unintelligible and turned to leave. Now they would get to travel all over Alabama chasing down scraps of information, just like the good old days. _Great._

"By the way, I've just remembered something," added Jean. "A young man came here yesterday asking about you."

Jay frowned. "Who was he?"

"He was wearing a blue striped sweater, it had bloodstains on it. His glasses were broken and he had a scar on his neck, like someone had stabbed him. I don't know what has transpired between you and he but I thought it better to warn you."

Tim, Jay and Lia stopped dead in their tracks, as the realization dawned on them like a thunderbolt.

Alex Kralie was alive. He was out there and he was after them.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim spends some quality time with his father, but various faces from the past seem intent on making it short-lived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.  
> This is an improved English translation of Landriel's original work in German. Landriel has given me her permission to post this. I have completed all the chapters and will be posting them over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the story

 The young man's gloved fingers hovered hesitantly over the keyboard, unsure of what to write. Or rather, unsure of whether he _should_ write anything at all. He had typed the text out countless times already, only to delete it again. A short e-mail to a friend. So simple, so banal. But not for him.

 

> **Hello Tim,**
> 
> **I'm sure you've already figured out who I am. I'm so sorry. I posted all those videos under the name totheark, I stole your pills, I called you a liar, I took advantage of your "condition". There are probably no words or deeds that can make up for my bad choices, but I want you to know that I regret them. I guess I screwed up pretty bad, huh? I really messed things up this time, didn't I? I understand if you're angry, you have every right to be. But if anything should happen, contact me or upload a video. I'll come to you immediately. We'll deal with it together, just like we used to. Do you remember?**
> 
> **See you later, from your old friend...**
> 
>  

"So I finally found you."

The barrel of a gun was pressed against the back of his head. He could even feel the cold of the metal through his hoodie. There was a click.

"Are you going to kill me now?" He spoke indifferently, even though every fiber of his being was screaming at him to jump up and run away.

The chair was brutally kicked out from under him and he landed hard on the concrete floor. The fabric mask was torn from his head and his assailant sat on top of him. The gun was now pointed at his forehead.

"Oh, Brian, why would I do that? You're still of use to me after all." Alex's voice sounded calm. "So," he continued, "tell me where Tim is."

Brian grinned. Of course he knew where Tim was. He always knew where Tim was, because he was always watching him.

A fist slammed into his jaw and he tasted blood.

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face!" Alex was now bent over him so closely that Brian could see the scar on his neck. It was broad and red. So his fight with Tim had left its mark on him after all, he noted with satisfaction.

However, Alex noticed the look in Brian's eyes and felt like breaking his neck, but simply shook him instead. The bespectacled man roared with anger, and specks of spittle flew into Brian's face. Then he suddenly stopped. He released his hold on Brian and stood up. A sinister smile spread across his lips.

"Maybe I don't have to beat you up after all. Maybe there's a much simpler method. For example, I could pay Jessica a visit and put a bullet in her pretty little head. You and Tim seem to care so much about her."

Brian scoured the ground for something he could use as a weapon. He eventually spotted something — a steel pipe. Alex now had his back to him, this was the perfect opportunity! He reached out for it...

Alex's arm shot out and grabbed his wrist.

"I hope I won't have to carry out my threat?"

Brian sighed. "He's in Montgomery."

 

##### ******  
  


Apparently, his father had decided that now was the ideal moment to make up for lost family time — by talking about himself. Not that Tim wanted to interrupt him. He figured he could try, but he listened anyway for the sake of politeness. His father worked at the SCP Foundation, which was responsible for confining dangerous objects and creatures. The repertoire ranged from living sculptures to cursed _SpongeBob SquarePants_ wristwatches. Five years ago, he would have thought that the person telling him all this had gone insane, but now he wasn't so sure. Too many strange things had happened to him. He shook his head and took a drag on his cigarette. Yes, he should have quit smoking a long time ago, it was unhealthy, but it was the only way for him to relieve stress. His mother also bore a certain share of the blame, she had always smoked in his presence after all.

> " _I see the bad moon arising_
> 
> _I see trouble on the way..._ "

The first lines of Creedance Clearwater Revival's _Bad Moon Rising_ tore Tim from his thoughts. Probably because here was someone else who was into classic rock, just like him.

His father took a cell phone from his pocket. It was the black folding kind with silver buttons. He began to pace back and forth around the room.

"Hello?...Janet? How did you get my number?"

Tim listened. His mother was calling? He wished he could hear what she was saying.

"Yes, I know about the pills...How can his doctor not remember prescribing him placebos?...Tim's fine...No, _you_ listen to _me_...So it's my fault? Who was it who put him in a mental hospital?"

His mother seemed to be beside herself, judging from what he could conclude from his father's side of the conversation. Tim felt more uncomfortable the longer the call continued. It was as if thousands of tiny insects were crawling under his skin. As if something was just waiting to break to the surface.

"You tracked his cell phone? No, you will not come here!"

The pain spread like a wave from his head and crawled down to his toes. Goddammit, he needed his pills urgently! With a tormented groan, he ran into his room, his hands pressed against his temples. His surroundings turned into a battleground of swirling colors and every sound echoed in his ears.

It was already beginning as he managed to close his bedroom door behind him just in time. His body began to tremble, the trembling became convulsions, and the convulsions became spasms. Soon there lay only a tangle of twitching arms and legs on the floor.

But that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst was what happened to his mind. It felt as if the thin threads on which his consciousness hung were being slowly severed with large, blunt scissors. Then something else worked its way through.

"Shh, everything's going to be all right."

Suddenly, his father's voice was with him. He held Tim firmly, put him in his lap and spoke calmly to him.

"If you can't fight it, just give in."

So Tim gave in. His body relaxed, his breathing stabilized and he closed his eyes. And when he opened them again, he was someone else.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Marble Hornets fanfiction. Tim's dark side comes out to play and causes problems for him with regards to the secrets he is keeping from Jay.

****Masky smiled under his mask. It felt good to be in control. Most of the time, it felt like their consciousness was a car in which they both sat and Tim was driving them along a straight road. But sometimes Masky was in the driving seat and started to turn the steering wheel randomly, swerving them right off the track. It was like Tim was now lying unconscious in the back seat.

"Let's go then," said Masky, looking at the coordinates. His voice hissed slightly, like interference on a radio transmission. Even though he had full control over his movements, he found it difficult to use his vocal cords. They were too complex for him to master. His real purpose was to protect Tim, yet he acted more impulsively.

He climbed nimbly onto the ledge. The window slid up without resistance. The masked man crept silently into the room like a shadow. He approached the bed with agile steps. For a moment, his eyes remained on the brunette, then he brushed her hair off to one side and lifted the mattress. He reached under it but could only feel the slatted frame. The only things underneath the bed were bits of fluff and odd socks, which was not what he was looking for.

His search through the closet was initially unsuccessful until a sheet fell down on top of his head. On the top shelf, he found a basket containing a bottle of pills and a folded piece of paper with "For Tim, give this to him only when he asks" written on it. He took both items with him.

He already had one foot up on the window sill ready to haul himself out, when the door to the room opened and a gray-haired man wearing a bathrobe and holding a rifle stormed in.

"I knew I heard something!" he growled, aiming the gun at Masky.

Masky slipped out of the room a second too late. Jessica had woken up and her eyes met his.

"Tim?" He heard her confused call before he fled.

 

******

 

"Ha!" Tim skilfully blocked Lia's punch.

The two circled each other, moving in time with each other, like a perfectly rehearsed dance. Their hearts beat, their lungs burned and their muscles ached. Lia dropped to the mat exhausted.

"You're good," Tim said appreciatively as he helped her up.

Alex's reappearance had spurred him into teaching his sister how to fight. If an attack did occur, he wanted to make sure she was able to defend herself.

"Fancy some ice cream?" he said, grinning contentedly when he saw her nod eagerly.

They rushed into the kitchen and Tim plundered the deep freeze. Häagen-Daz's Banana Rum Jam. He was about to plunge a spoon into a heap of his favorite ice cream when Jay rushed in.

"Tim, Lia, you need to see this!" His cheeks were glowing red and sweat glistened on his forehead.

He waved the piece of paper he was holding. The siblings approached him and Lia excitedly snatched the note from his hand.

"This is one of the eight pages!" she babbled wildly, causing molten ice cream to dribble out of the corner of her mouth.

Tim unfolded it.

 

> **My dear son,**
> 
> **If you have found this page, it means you have reached the beginning of your search. I will now reveal a story only a select few know about. Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone else about it! This could lead to your death!!! You cannot trust anyone!**
> 
> **HE has probably existed for as long as time itself and is from another dimension. The earliest known records of HIM are from the Middle Ages. HE was described as a tall, thin figure known as "The Knight". HE would appear in the woods, near children. Those children either disappeared or were found dead shortly afterwards. But HE also had an influence over the adults. They became paranoid, aggressive, and injured themselves too. This behavior was often explained away as demonic possession, therefore exorcisms were performed. Some people turned on their fellow villagers, killing them while insisting they were simply carrying out their Master's orders.**
> 
> **You will find out what this story has to do with you during the course of your search.**
> 
> **Good luck,**
> 
> **Your father.**
> 
>  

"What's that story all about?" Jay asked. "And why was the note on your bed?"

"I have no idea," Tim murmured, running a hand through his hair.

He had the irrepressible feeling that something had happened. Something serious. He tried desperately to think of a way out of this awkward conversation. Fortunately, his cell phone made that excuse for him. However, the number on the display made him regret his brief moment of relief immediately. With one hand pressed to his other ear, he fled to his room and answered the call.

"Tim?" Jessica's nervous voice emerged from the other end of the line. "Were you in my room last night?"

His eyebrows shot up. "No. What gave you that idea?"

"Well, my dad ran into my room because he heard someone break in and when I woke up, I saw a man. He had a mask on, so I couldn't see his face. I don't know why, but for some reason he looked familiar. It's really stupid, but he reminded me of you."

An icy cold spread throughout his chest. "Hold on a minute."

He put his phone down on the bed and rummaged through his backpack. He found it at the bottom — the mask. Its black lips seemed to be smirking at him. Without another word, he switched off his phone and slumped backwards against the wall, sinking to the floor. It had happened again. He had lost control. No matter how many times he tried, he just kept on failing.

"Who were you talking to?"

Tim looked up, suppressing a sob. He hadn't realized Jay had entered the room.

"Nobody," he answered evasively.

Jay snorted. "I don't believe you."

The man in the cap grabbed Tim's phone off the bed and tapped it a few times. Tim repeatedly tried to snatch it back but Jay was quicker and dodged his attempts every time.

"Let's see who's at the top of your call list."

"Damn it, Jay! Give it back to me!" Tim was almost pleading.

But Jay ignored him and scrolled up. His expression changed from surprise to anger within seconds. He threw the phone down as if it had burned his hand and turned to Tim. Outrage flashed from his green eyes.

"Jessica? _Jessica?!_ You told me that you didn't know where she was and that she was probably dead! How long have you been in contact with her? What have you been doing? Sleeping with her?"

Tim shook his head in disbelief. A soft voice in the back of his head told him that it was not just Jay's anger that was talking, but also his jealousy. Could it be? Was Jay in love with Jessica?

"You know what, I don't want to know!" Jay yelled at him. "The point is that you lied to me! Again! No, 'as usual' would be more accurate! Because you're still nothing but a miserable, lousy liar!"

He stormed out of the room.

"Jay, wait..." Tim started then trailed off hopelessly.

There was no point.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Marble Hornets fanfiction. Tim receives an unwanted visitor from his past, while Jay decides to go it alone.

There's a certain feeling when everything hurts from crying so much. That was exactly how Tim felt. His throat was burning, his eyes were itching, his nose was running and a heavy lump had formed in his stomach which just wouldn't go away. He hadn't looked at the clock but it had probably been about half an hour. Hot, salty tears ran down his cheeks in torrents and wet his lips. The taste made him retch. And he hated and pitied himself in equal measure, even though he shouldn't do so. He had good reason for his emotional outburst. He had lost control to his second personality _again_ , Jay had called him a liar and left and, to top it all off, his mother was downstairs arguing with his father. Not to mention the remaining pages that still needed to be found.

There was a knock on the door.

"Go away," he said between sobs.

The door opened anyway and Tim hid deeper under the bed covers. A hand shook him softly but firmly by the shoulder. He growled but the shaking continued. Finally, he gave up and stuck his head out from under the blankets. Lia crouched by his bed with a worried expression on her face and stroked his cheek.

"You can't hide forever."

"Stop lecturing me, I'm not a child!" he replied irritably.

"Stop acting like one then."

That elicited a small smile. "Touché."

Lia sighed. "We should go downstairs. I know you haven't had the best relationship with your mom, but she hasn't seen you for a long time and she's worried about you. And if she upsets you, Dad and I will be here for you."

Tim nodded, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He got up and followed his sister. His legs became more unsteady with each step and when he finally arrived in the living room, they threatened to buckle.

Janet Wright hadn't changed much. Her brown hair was perfectly trimmed to shoulder length, her eyebrows were neatly plucked and her eyes were as gray as they always had been. The only indications of the passage of time were the slight wrinkles around her mouth. They certainly weren't the result of laughter. She wore a pinstripe blouse and dark trousers, a thin gold chain hanging around her neck. She was the perfect embodiment of the "dignified woman in her forties" look, and had nailed the "respectable person who definitely doesn't have a schizophrenic son" look.

"Sit down," his father ordered. Tim did as he was told. His chest felt like it was being pounded with a jack hammer If he didn't break the silence soon, his mother would be able to hear his heartbeat.

"Hi, Mom." That sounded pathetic even to Tim himself.

"Hello, Timothy."

The disappointment in her voice was palpable. She had called him by his full name, that was never a good sign.

"What have you been doing with yourself for all these years?" Her voice was completely devoid of emotion, she didn't even blink.

Tim took a deep breath before saying: "I was in college. It was nice there. I made a friend, Brian, the boy in the photo I sent you. Then I auditioned for a role in this student film. Brian wanted to be in it, so I tried out too. We were both accepted. Alex — the director — was real nice in the beginning but then he turned out to be a total jerk. I was glad when the whole thing was cancelled. And then I did some other stuff until I found Dad."

Mrs Wright snorted. "You're still as bad a liar as you always were. How did you really find your father? Dr Cage is an expert in his field, why would he prescribe you placebos? And why can't he remember doing so? Just tell me one thing, Timothy. What exactly is going on here?"

Lia jumped up from her chair indignantly. "Tim doesn't have to tell you anything! You have no right to interrogate him like that, you...you...!"

"Watch your mouth, you insolent brat! I shouldn't have to stand here and be insulted by the daughter of a whore!" Mrs Wright replied, a disparaging grimace spreading across her lips.

A burning rage flared up in Tim. It flowed through his veins, spreading like a geyser in his stomach, burning his heart and exploding like a volcanic eruption in his head. His hands clenched into fists, his eyes narrowed and he started to yell. "The only one who should watch her mouth is YOU! You kept me away from other children for all those years, telling me I was sick! You even had me locked up in a mental hospital for years! And now you just show up here, demanding answers and treating me and my family like dirt!"

The doors of the cabinets crashed open violently, the dishes on the shelves rattled and the books flew off the shelves. The light bulb hanging from the ceiling exploded and a shower of sparks poured down on his mother.

Stunned and scared, she stared at her son before fleeing in panic.

Tim collapsed to the floor exhausted. "What happened?" he gasped.

His father emitted a whistle through his teeth. "That was the awakening of your Creep powers."

 

******

 

Frustrated, Jay trudged along the roadside. He couldn't believe that Tim had lied to him again. After Tim had found him and brought him back to life, he had thought that everything was going to be all right, that they would find the eight pages, discover all the secrets together and maybe even defeat Alex as well. What an idiot he had been! He had completely forgotten his real mission in all of this; to find Jessica. When he had first laid eyes on her in the doorway of the hotel room, with her tangled hair and a desperate look on her face, he had felt something change inside him.

"Hey, need a ride?"

A pick-up truck had pulled up next to him. The window was wound down and a girl with blonde bobbed hair leaned towards him.

Jay hesitated, then thought better of it. The further away he was from Tim, the better. Smiling gratefully, he got in the truck.

"Where are you heading?" she asked, flirtatiously blowing a bubble gum bubble and letting it burst.

He blushed with embarrassment. "To be honest, I'm not from around here. I had a fight with a friend and now I just want get away from him."

"Over a girl, huh?" She grinned knowingly.

"It's stupid but, yeah, you're right," Jay replied laughing.

"By the way, I'm Meg," she introduced herself.

He nodded. "Jay."

Meg handed him a bottle of water. "Here, you look thirsty."

He gratefully accepted and took three large gulps. The liquid lapped coolly around his parched mouth, leaving a pleasant sweetness on his palate. As he looked out of the window, he noticed the passing trees becoming blurry, and it wasn't caused by the speed of the car. Gray dots danced before his eyes and his tongue already felt so heavy that he was unable to speak. With the last of his strength, he turned his head towards Meg and saw her pick up a CB radio.

"It's not the one you wanted, but I think you're in for a surprise."

Then his eyelids closed and the world descended into blackness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay finds himself in a spot of trouble and Tim continues to be haunted by his past.

****His eyes were sticky, his head felt like cotton wool and he had a nasty aftertaste in the back of his throat. All in all, Jay was in pretty bad shape when he woke up. However, to his surprise, he was no longer in the truck, but in a room. It was cold and smelled musty. Only the thin slits of the steel door provided some light.

"He...Hello?" he called out tentatively.

"Who's there?"

Jay hadn't really been expecting a response, so he was all the more surprised when he received one. The voice came from a barred window to his left. He had to stand on his tiptoes in order to be able to see through it. A female figure with long, dark hair was on the other side.

His jaw almost dropped to the floor. "Sarah?"

The woman stood up and ran to the window. "Jay?"

Sarah really was the last person he had expected to find. She had previously been a member of the cast of _Marble Hornets_ playing the role of Brian's girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

A desperate expression spread across her face. "I have no idea. I..."

"Is Brian with you?" Another person appeared next to Sarah.

It was Seth Wilson. He had worked as the cameraman until he mysteriously disappeared. Jay frowned. He hadn't seen anyone else in the room with him. He ran around in the darkness, searching frantically. He appeared to be alone. At that moment, he tripped over something. As he felt it, he realized it was an outstretched leg. A leg that was attached to a body. Now he could see the outline of a man slumped against the wall in the dim twilight.

"Brian?!" he cried in shock.

The door opened and exposed the man in a glare of light. It was Brian, but Jay almost didn't recognize him. There were cuts on his lips, his nostrils were encrusted with blood and his left eye was swollen and dark purple. Also, the vertebrae in his neck was protruding strangely beneath the skin, it was twisted in an extraordinary way.

"Who did this?" Jay whispered in shock.

"Well, that would be me!"

The voice dripped with such confidence and arrogance that it sent shivers down Jay's spine. Alex Kralie was standing in the doorway. He had his chest puffed out as if he were proud of his work. Images immediately flashed through Jay's mind. Images of Alex firing the gun at him, of Alex slamming a cement block down onto Tim's leg, of Alex...

Disgusted, Jay shook off the memories. "Why did you bring us here?"

His former friend laughed. "Because it's time for you to die."

He sounded cold and emotionless, like a puppet. Maybe that was what he was, because it could definitely no longer be said that he was human.

"Don't worry," he said, glancing at Brian. "His neck was already broken from when he fell off that balcony Tim chased him to. Speaking of Tim, I'm going to kill him last, once I've lured him here."

Meg stepped up beside him and snuggled against his shoulder. The darkness of her eyes was impenetrable. Jay knew those eyes from somewhere.

"You're..."

"Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Amy Kralie. For the time being, we're only married via a civil ceremony. We'll celebrate properly once you're all dead." He kissed her passionately on the mouth.

The door slammed shut.

"Jay...you..." Brian moaned laboriously.

"Don't worry, Tim will get us out of here and then he'll kill Alex!" Jay assured him.

But if he was so sure, why wouldn't this oppressive feeling disappear?

 

******

 

Tim was ten years old again. He was in the hospital. More specifically, the swimming pool. This was one of the not-so-bad memories. He dived down like a fish and curiously studied the bubbles that rose to the surface of the water. There was a dull gurgling sound in his ears. He was free here. He felt good here. Playfully, he performed a backwards roll. Everything was different underwater. He wished he never had to return to the surface, where the orderlies were already waiting to take him back to his room and lock him up again. Speaking of which, they should have been blowing the time's-up whistle and telling him to get out of the pool by now. Swimming therapy only lasted fifteen minutes per session. He started to sense a strong, metallic odor in his nose. That was strange, the water usually smelled like chlorine. He looked around feeling confused. The base of the pool and everything around him was covered in dark red swathes. The substance started to stick to his body. A panic-stricken scream escaped from his throat as Tim realized he was swimming in blood.

Something hard and plastic was covering his face. No matter how hard he pulled on it, it wouldn't come loose. Through the slits, he saw a white head emerge. A head without eyes, a nose or a mouth. A long, black tentacle shot out and wrapped around his waist. Tim kicked his legs desperately. He couldn't breathe! In his panic, he swallowed a mouthful of blood. He coughed but his lungs kept filling up with more of the red fluid. _Oh God, I'm going to suffocate!_ _I'm going to_...

Bathed in sweat, Tim woke up with a start. He had goosebumps and he was trembling. Breathing heavily, he ran his hand over his face. He felt skin beneath his fingers, not a mask. Still shaking, he reached for his water bottle and took a pill. _It was just a bad dream!_

"Hey, Tim!" Lia stuck her head around the half-open door. "We found out where Jay is."

Tim immediately jumped to his feet and raced down the stairs. He found his father in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hand. An open laptop was sitting on the table.

"Well?" Tim said. "Aren't we gonna go get him?"

Mr Wright gestured silently to the laptop screen. Tim sat down in front of the device and froze. A YouTube channel was displayed on the screen.

Marble Hornets had uploaded a new video: **Entry #88**.

He looked uncomfortably at his father, who nodded. Tim clicked on the video.

"Hello Tim" stood in white letters on a black background before the image appeared. Alex was in the frame, crouching between two figures who were only partially visible. The camera panned further upwards. It revealed Jay and Brian, bound to the wall and gagged. Jay seemed all right but Brian was in a bad way.

"Come to Rosswood if you want them to live. Alone. See you around, Tim."

An ugly laugh could be heard from Alex before the video ended abruptly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim, Lia and John hatch out a plan to rescue Jay and the others from Alex.

****Tim had been sitting in silence staring at the black screen for two minutes.

"You're not really considering going to Rosswood, are you?" his father said.

Tim stood up. He started pacing around the kitchen. He rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his hair. A deep sigh escaped his lungs. "I don't know. Jay and Brian...they're my friends. This is all my fault, I should be the one who..."

Enraged, Tim's father grabbed him and pulled him around so that they were face to face. He gripped his shoulders harshly and shook him. "Do you have a death wish or something? It's obviously a trap! If you go there, you'll die!"

"I'd rather die than have my friends die because of me!" Tim shouted.

"Haven't you ever watched a movie? Alex is just waiting for you to show up there so he can kill all of you at once and then you'll have achieved nothing!" Lia intervened

Tim hung his head hopelessly. "What else _can_ I do?"

Mr Wright looked meaningfully at the two siblings. "We'll save them together. I have a plan!"

 

******

 

Hours later, the three of them were standing in front of a complex of buildings which resembled a prison. There was barbed wire as far as the eye could see and surveillance cameras with flashing red lights were positioned on each of the corners. Despite it being the dead of night, the area was brightly illuminated by searchlights.

With a finger to his lips, Mr Wright sent his son and daughter through the gate. He pulled out a complicated-looking key from his pocket.

"Do you have permission to be here right now?" Tim asked.

His father shook his head.

"Cool!" Lia squealed. "We're breaking into the SCP Foundation!"

Tim strongly disagreed that breaking and entering was "cool", but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The lock clicked as the key was turned and the heavily bolted door swung open surprisingly easily. A long, narrow corridor stretched out ahead of them with the doors to several rooms on either side. It was quiet, the walls were probably soundproofed, which served as a reminder that dangerous creatures were being kept here. Their father moved ahead at a fast, energetic pace. Tim couldn't help but admire his courage and strength. He had imagined what it would be like to have a father for years, but never in his wildest dreams would he have envisioned him being like this. As they walked along the corridor, the temperature gradually dropped. Shivering, he pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulders. It was his tan jacket, a vintage one that he had found in a second-hand store. He had only gone in the store to look for a first edition book — Tim loved books — but for some reason the jacket had piqued his interest. Maybe it was the collar or the epaulets, he didn't know. Maybe it was just the whole look.

Mr Wright abruptly halted causing Lia to bump into Tim's back. She rubbed her now sore nose. When she looked up again, a man was standing at the opposite end of the hallway holding a large gun in his hands. He was tall and heavily built. He reminded her of Agent Coulson from _The Avengers_.

"John Wright, you are hereby officially under arrest."

"Run!"

Lia froze. She could do nothing but look down the barrel of the enormous gun. Tim grabbed her by the arm and ran. Her legs automatically adjusted to his rhythm and she came back to her senses again. They heard the sound of gunfire behind them, it brought tears to her eyes.

They eventually arrived at the door. Tim's fingers were shaking so much they almost slid off the keypad. 2-4-8-8. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but just as he was starting to fear that he had entered the wrong code, a hiss sounded. White steam rose and the way ahead opened up for them. Trembling, he walked towards the object that stood invitingly on a pedestal. It was a transparent glass ball which was about the size of a hand. A purple mass churned inside it. It was the Soul Catcher. It emitted a pleasant glow and Tim felt compelled to walk over to it. On closer inspection, he believed he could see shapes in the mass. He was almost hypnotized by the strange spectacle that was occurring in front of his eyes. He wondered what would happen if he touched it...

 

******

 

A stinging pain on his cheek woke him up.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Lia shouted urgently, her open hand still raised to strike.

Jolting himself fully awake, Tim put the ball in his jacket pocket and they left the room.

Hopefully, the object would serve its purpose and Alex would be locked into it forever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim, Lia and John head to Rosswood for a showdown with Alex.

 

"I guess that's you out of a job now, huh?" Tim noted, staring out of the car window.

They had just escaped from the building. His father knew every emergency exit. As for the guard, he had not survived, which was why they were racing down the highway at a speed of seventy-five miles per hour.

"It's still better than you going up against Alex alone," muttered Mr Wright.

He yanked the steering wheel hard and the car turned a sharp corner. The highway ended on a narrow country lane lined with trees. A sign reading "Rosswood" was illuminated in the beam of the headlights. The harsh yellow light glaring on the sign seemed to be a kind of foreshadowing of the inevitable. Tim's guts knotted painfully at the thought of it.

 

**********

 

The hospital was still as cold and intimidating as Tim remembered it always being. A pile of rotten wood lay where a table had once been and there was a large gaping hole in one wall where a portrait of Dr Angus Bumby used to hang. He was the founder of the hospital. A tall, thin man with prominent cheekbones, a pointed nose and a full dark beard who wore small round glasses. The picture was a gruesome sight which young Tim had felt would be more likely to eat him than help him.

Shuddering at the memories, Tim quickened his pace. He continued to walk straight ahead until he realized that he could no longer hear his father and Lia. He looked around alarmed. The two of them were nowhere to be seen. Had they taken a wrong turn somewhere? That was unlikely, as the other doors led to rooms which were either empty or had collapsed in on themselves a long time ago.

The beam of a flashlight approached from around the corner. Cold fear crept up in his throat and made it difficult for him to breathe. He could hear the fast pounding of shoes on the floor. Without hesitation, he ran into one of the abandoned rooms. He pressed his back against the bare concrete wall and dared not breathe. Blood rushed loudly in his ears.

"Tim," a voice echoed. "I know you're here. There's no escape, I _will_ find you. But it doesn't have to be this way. If you come out now and surrender, I might grant you a quick and painless death. A bullet in the head. How about it?"

The footsteps drew closer. Alex was going to discover him in no time. Desperately, Tim bit his lip until he tasted blood. He reached into his jacket pocket feverishly. The glass of the Soul Catcher felt cool and reassuring under his fingers, but he dismissed this option. He had no idea how to use this type of weapon and it would only take Alex seconds to shoot him. He also had to find his friends and family first.

A clattering sound saved him from his dilemma. Broken glass cracked underfoot as his enemy ran off to search elsewhere for him. Tim waited for the sounds to fade then headed in the opposite direction. He ran to the exit, then around the outside of the hospital. Panting, he stopped in front of a small window. This was the only other way in and was also the way to access the basement. He took a small pocket knife from his jeans. The letters TW were engraved on the handle. With practiced movements, he loosened the screws from the grating and climbed in. He had frequently used this method to escape from the hospital as a child, so it had become second nature to him.

He pushed himself off the window sill and found himself face to face with Amy. However, she had changed. Her once long honey-blonde hair had been cut into a bob and he couldn't ever remember having seen her with jerry cans in her hand either. As he looked around, it dawned on him what she was planning to do. Jay, Brian, Seth and Sarah were bound together in the middle of the room.

"What are you staring at?" Amy laughed.

"We will burn you. We will watch as the flesh gradually melts from your bones. We will enjoy your agony as you plead for mercy. You will die slowly and cruelly, like I did when he stabbed me and left me to bleed to death." Alex had appeared in the basement.

"No, you will not!"

Lia lunged at him from behind. He tried to dodge her attack, but she sank her teeth into his arm. Trying to shake her off was pointless, her jaws were locked onto his flesh like those of a rabid dog.

"Amy!" he shouted. "Now!"

Before anyone could react, Amy pulled out a lighter and ignited the pool of gasoline. The fire spread in a circle around Tim's friends and quickly lapped closer. Shock, horror and hate churned inside Tim and formed a fire of their own. However, it was a funeral pyre and his emotions danced wildly around it. The dance became a wild orgy of chaos.

As if pushed by giant hands, a blast of energy formed inside the ring of flames. The bonds restraining his friends broke apart. With a single wave of his hand, Tim threw Alex into the air and pinned him to the wall. He retrieved the Soul Catcher from his jacket pocket and hurled it at the bespectacled man's feet. The ball shattered into thousands of pieces and purple smoke rose from it. The smoke turned into a miniature tornado, the eye sucking Alex in gradually.

"Please!" he shouted, hardly recognizable in the colorful spectacle. "Amy is pregnant! The child can't grow up without a father!"

Tim spun around to look at the blonde. He saw a small bump in her belly, it was already bulging over her waistband. He growled irritably.

"Count yourself lucky I'm not as sadistic as you! You can see your child once a year!"

After these words were spoken, the tornado completely swallowed Alex up and returned to the Soul Catcher, which reassembled itself on the spot.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and his friends try to escape from the abandoned hospital.

 All his strength deserted him in one fell swoop. His head was buzzing and his legs threatened to give way. He was so tired...

"No, no, no! Tim, stay with us!" The voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

But he needed to rest, just for five minutes.

"Goddammit, Tim, the place is on fire!"

This sentence jolted Tim abruptly from his stupor back to reality. His senses became sharp again. He smelled the smoke, felt the heat, heard the crackling of the flames. How could he have forgotten about the fire?

Distraught, he turned to his friends. The flames had almost reached them. He frantically tried to think of a solution. The flames were not very high.

"Jay!" he shouted. "You're gonna have to jump!"

"What?" Jay replied aghast, as if Tim had just told him to go to the moon and pick some flowers.

"It's the only way!"

Resignation flashed over Jay's face. He nodded, wiped the sweat from his forehead and called the others to him with a gesture. They joined hands, took a short run-up and jumped. It seemed like they were suspended in the air for an eternity. Tim looked at each of them closely. The fear in Jay's squinted eyes, Brian's mouth twisted into a grimace, the shocked expressions on the faces of Sarah and Seth. Then they landed, and not a moment too soon because it was in that instant that a big chunk of plaster crashed down from the ceiling to the spot in which they had been standing seconds earlier. Dust billowed up and hot embers flew towards them.

"Time to leave!" Lia said.

She didn't have to say it twice. Amy followed closely behind them even though Tim really couldn't give a shit about her fate. She could have died in there for all he cared.

 

******

 

They were met outside by Tim's father and a team of SCP employees. They had tracked Mr Wright's car. When they learned that Alex Kralie was in the Soul Catcher, they changed their minds about imprisoning him. Alex had long been a target of theirs, but they had never been able to locate him. Sarah and Seth's memories would be erased. Amy was still allowed to live as a free woman, but had to report regularly to the Foundation.

"Brian, can I talk to you for a minute?" Tim said, pulling his best friend to one side.

The blond man nodded and approached him. Tim took a swing at Brian and landed a punch to his face. Brian staggered back a few steps. He groaned and covered his nose with his hands, dark red drops leaked out from between his fingers. He straightened up again in shock, only to be pulled into a hug by Tim.

"Don't ever steal my pills again!" Tim whispered, snuggling against him.

 

******

 

Tim took another long swig from the bottle and grimaced. It tasted awful. He had to quit drinking soon anyway, his doctor had advised him to avoid alcohol because it could affect his medication. Frustrated, he let his gaze wander over the crowd. Screeching girls in tight clothing, gyrating wildly to the music. Why had he agreed to come here? _Oh, yes. Brian._ His best friend had begged him to come to one of the college parties. He knew that these big occasions were not Tim's thing. If only he'd stayed in his room. He could be revising for his upcoming exam or watching TV.

"May I have this dance?"

Out of nowhere, Brian appeared before him. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway down, his bare chest adorned with deep scratches. There was a hickey on his neck and a hand print on his cheek.

"I got dumped after I puked on her feet," he explained sheepishly.

Tim stared blankly at the hand offered to him. "But I can't dance."

Brian laughed and pulled him up off the sofa. He held Tim's hips and Tim put his arms around Brian's neck. Then they began to dance slowly to the music.

 

******

 

Someone was waving frantically in front of his face. Tim blinked and came back to reality. He was at home, in the living room. Brian was laying on the couch while Tim's father leaned over him, examining him. When Tim saw Brian's battered face, he realized how old the memory must have been and that they would never experience such moments again. The young man who had once danced with him had become a restless avenger. Someone who had posted eerie videos, manipulated people and betrayed his best friend. Tim should be afraid of him, be angry with him, maybe even hate him. But he couldn't. He was still Brian Thomas, the man who had helped him through some of the worst times of his life.

"How is he?" Tim asked, unsure of whether he really wanted to know the answer.

"Apart from the injuries from the beating, he's doing pretty well." Mr Wright cleared his throat. "His broken neck seems to have miraculously healed, but the language center of his brain has been damaged. He'll probably never be able to speak properly again."

Brian stood up and smiled at Tim. He had changed, externally as well as internally. His once neatly trimmed hair had grown and now hung down over his eyes, which were no longer hazel. They were now red, like the ones on his mask.

"Should I...show you around...the house?" Tim stammered, unsure of what else to say.

Brian nodded and followed Tim's lead. He showed him the kitchen and the hallway, took him to the basement and explained where the bathroom was. Tim only spoke as much as was necessary, trying hard to hide the tremor in his voice. They eventually arrived at his room. Tim performed a sarcastic twirl to present his new domain, which was not very impressive. A simple bed with a plaid bedspread, a green woollen rug on the floor and shelves containing a few books on the walls. Apart from that, the room was empty. He kicked his bag out of the way. As it skidded along the floor, a piece of paper fell out of it. Brian bent down to pick it up but Tim got there before him and snatched the paper away. For some reason, he didn't want Brian to touch it.

"The second of the eight pages," he murmured as he unfolded it.

 

 

> **Hello Tim,**
> 
> **You will now learn something your mother probably never told you about. She had good reason for this. It's terrifying, horrible and sickening. This information will disturb you, but you need to know in order for you to understand what you will later discover.**
> 
>  
> 
> **12/18/1988**
> 
> **I was on night duty tonight and took the shortcut home through the forest. As I reached the deepest part of the woods, my flashlight shone on the silhouette of a woman. She was crouching against a tree and I could hear her crying. I took a step closer and realized with horror that it was Janet. She was naked. Her legs and the ground surrounding her were awash with blood. I asked her what had happened and she showed me what she was holding in her arms. She was cradling a newborn baby, who was also covered in blood. Naturally, I wanted to know how on earth this had happened. Bewildered, Janet explained that her contractions had started that evening, then a tall man had appeared in the room with her. Afraid that she was hallucinating, she ran out of the house with the intention of going to the hospital, but some powerful force compelled her to run deep into the forest. There, after many hours of suffering and pain, she gave birth to our son. The tall man had been watching her throughout her labor. Who is this creature and what is his interest in our child?**
> 
>  

_Oh, great._ This thing had been following him since he was born.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay reconciles with Tim, and the Wright family's trip to an amusement park doesn't go quite as planned.

"Hey, what's up?"

Jay stuck his head around the door to Tim's room. His cap was dirty and had accumulated a few holes, but he had otherwise made a remarkable recovery. Tim forced a weary smile and handed him the note. Jay's eyes darted from left to right, each line of text he read deepening the creases in his forehead. He eventually put the piece of paper down. His shoulders sagged and his incisors chewed nervously on his lower lip.

"Do you forgive me now?" Tim asked.

The green-eyed man snorted. "What, out of pity? I didn't need to read that page to forgive you. I already forgave you a long time ago. When I was locked in that dark room with Brian, I realized what an idiot I'd been. You were just trying to protect Jessica, just like you were doing in Entry #76. And I screwed up again. I'm sorry."

Embarrassed, Jay lowered his eyes and Tim could have sworn he saw tears glistening on his cheeks.

"Oh, come here," he said, spreading his arms wide.

Jay let himself fall into them and the warm breath on his neck reminded him that they were all alive. They were alive and they would beat this thing.

However, the sound of someone clearing his throat disturbed this intimate moment. Mr Wright had appeared behind them.

"As reluctant as I am to interrupt this touching reunion," he said, "we don't have time to get sentimental."

With that, he disappeared downstairs. Sighing, Tim and his friends followed him. Lia was already sitting at the table with a pamphlet in front of her. "McGucket's Wonderland" was printed in bright letters on the front cover.

"A theme park?" Tim murmured irritated.

His father nodded. "Lia has wanted to go there for a long time. And now that Alex is out of the picture, we can allow ourselves a little time for fun and relaxation."

"Someone has to keep an eye on Jessica. I want to make sure she's safe," Jay said.

Brian immediately raised his hand to volunteer. For some reason, he felt it would be better if he didn't go with them.

Going to a theme park wasn't Tim's idea of fun and relaxation. The thought of screaming children, bright flashing lights and booming music made him feel rather nauseous.

He was about to refuse when he saw her pleading expression. It was probably impossible to deny little sisters anything they wanted.

 

******

 

Two hours later, he found himself in a staring match with a little boy. Light blue eyes fixed on Tim's dark brown ones. It wasn't his fault. The boy had started it by stating that the bench belonged to him and his mother. The kid was stubborn, he had to give him that, but Tim felt that victory was already within touching distance. His opponent would soon blink or look away. But instead, the child started to speak.

"Why are you so creepy?"

This confused Tim. "Why are you so annoying?" he countered, trying to hide his bewilderment.

The boy tilted his head. "There's something different about you. Inside you." He reached out to touch Tim's chest.

The slender fingers were only inches from the plaid shirt when Tim's arm shot out and grabbed the boy's hand. His skin turned white under the pressure, but the child didn't make a sound.

_"This little hand reaches far!"_ giggled a voice inside his mind.

He suddenly let go and stumbled back a few steps. _Masky!_ His second personality was going to take control! He couldn't let himself hurt this child! He needed to...

"Gideon, leave that man alone!" yelled a woman with her gray hair in a bun, pulling the boy away with her.

Tim turned frantically and pressed his hand to his heart, which was now beating like a jack hammer. He had to pull himself together, he had to get his pulse rate down, he had to get his breathing under control. _Just don't have a seizure, not here, not now!_

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Startled, he spun around.

"Whoa, chill out!" Lia said. "I was just gonna ask if you wanted to go on the ghost train."

He nodded and followed her to the structure, which was draped with dark curtains and covered in cobwebs. This was really the kind of distraction he needed right now.

The only other three people in the line strictly refused to share a car with them, so they got the first one to themselves, which made Lia even happier. Jay readied his camera. The last time he had been on a ghost train he had only been seven years old, so he wanted to record everything. The man at the controls pushed a big button and the car started off with a jerk. Green floodlights snapped on and bathed everything in an eerie light. Tape recordings of howling sounds then blared out. They passed a cemetery scene where they were pursued by skeletons. Then water started dripping from the ceiling and a pirate battle scene came into view, accompanied by the sounds of sword blades clinking and cannons firing.

After about three other scenarios, the ride was coming to an end. The sound effects slowly subsided and the lighting was dimmed. Then the car suddenly stopped for no apparent reason. It was completely dark and dangerously silent, and Tim knew that this was not part of the ride. His heart started to pound faster and harder than before, as if it would jump out if he were to open his mouth. The real horror started now. He heard a slight noise to his left.

"Oh no, not..." whispered Jay, but he was interrupted by a tremendous roar.

Tim felt something sticky leaking out from his nostrils. It was blood. A tall figure with long arms appeared on the track ahead of them. _It_ had found him. He heard a scream and it took him a second to realize that it was his own. That was the last thought he had before a piercing pain raced through his head.

The car set off again with a jerk and a worried attendant came running.

"Is everything OK with you guys? I heard a scream," he gasped.

Jay was still in shock, trembling. "Everything OK with you, Tim? Tim?"

But the seat next to him was empty. Jay and Lia looked at each other in horror. _Oh, no!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay and Lia search for Tim.

It had been a chilly afternoon and the strong wind promised it would be an unpleasant evening too. Shivering, the young man hugged himself. He felt cold despite the thick hoodie he was wearing. He fetched a water bottle from his bag. His throat hurt as he swallowed the water. The throat he would never be able to use properly again. He angrily dug his fingers between the roof tiles. What was the point in seeing the nice view from the roof if he couldn't tell anyone about it? A crack sounded before a shingle broke free and slid down the room. Frustrated, he tore more out and threw them down to the ground. They rustled softly as they landed in the grass. They were followed by ten more. Panting, he let his hands fall to his sides and lay down on his back. His rest was interrupted by the sound of a window being pushed up. Startled, he crawled forwards and peered over the edge of the roof. A head leaned out of the window frame.

"What's going on out here?"

It was Jessica! Brian felt like kicking himself. He was supposed to be discreetly keeping an eye on her, not attracting her attention! He panicked as he tried to climb back to his hiding place, but the tiles broke away from under him.

Now Jessica had stepped outside and was standing in the pile of red clay, her hands firmly on her hips.

"Listen," she called, "I know there's someone on the roof!"

And before he knew it, she had already climbed the ladder to the roof. Brian struggled to his feet and looked around frantically. The house wasn't very big, so there wasn't much room to escape up there. He had just made up his mind to take a running jump into the compost heap and flee when Jessica appeared.

"Stop! Stay where you are!" Determined, she stormed towards him. Brian started to run, but she was very fast and caught up with him in no time. When she reached out her hand to grab his hood, it happened; her left foot caught in a crack. The young woman suddenly lost her balance, began to falter and paddled desperately with her arms in an effort to regain control. _She’s going to fall off!_ Without any ulterior motive, he threw himself down and caught her slim body. It took all of five seconds at the most, but it seemed like an eternity to him. Then they both crashed down hard on the ridge of the roof. Jessica immediately struggled to free herself from under him.

"You lousy...," she began hysterically, before taking a closer look at him. "Wait, you're the guy in the yellow hoodie! You were in the tunnel when Alex was about to shoot me! You saved my life back then!"

 

******

 

The sky was already shining in gold and purple, it would be evening soon. They had to leave before it got dark. Lia doggedly pushed her way through the crowds, Jay trailing close behind her. Elbows rammed painfully into her ribs, but that didn't matter to her. What did matter was finding her father. If anyone could help them find Tim, then it was him. Out of breath, she stopped and looked around. Only three people were standing by the Ferris wheel, none of them was her father. The maze was empty and she doubted he would be taking part in the "Swan Lake Rafting".

"Where can Dad have got to?" she said dejectedly.

"Maybe he's gone to the bathroom?" Jay mused.

Lia ran over to the restrooms as if she had been bitten by a tarantula.

"Oh no, I'm not going in there and making a spectacle of myself!" protested Jay, crossing his arms.

Lia sighed. "Tim has been kidnapped, things can't get any worse."

Jay finally agreed, but only because this concerned his friend. He entered and carefully walked across the tiled floor. For some reason, he felt the need to be cautious. The appearance of the bathroom reminded him of his school days. The walls were daubed with graffiti, the mirror scratched and the trash can was overflowing. He walked uncertainly past the stalls.

"Mr Wright?"

There was no answer. He felt rather embarrassed when he had to crouch down to look underneath one of the doors. He didn't see any feet.

"Are you looking for something?" a voice called from behind him.

Startled, Jay whirled around and winded up being face to face with himself. Confused, he blinked, but his doppelgänger was still standing in the same spot

"Who are you?" he demanded. "And what do you want?"

Not Jay, as he had mentally baptized him, took a step towards him. He twisted the corners of his mouth upwards into a grin that sent shivers down Jay's spine.

"Don't you recognize me?" the double scoffed. "I'm you, aren't I?"

It was strange watching him speak and move. Not Jay was almost identical to him from head to toe, and yet there were certain differences. His hair was ragged, his eyes were darker. Jay wished he had a weapon to defend himself with. Then he remembered something. His hand slowly slipped into his pants pocket an clutched the pocket knife. He brought it out with lightning speed, the element of surprise on his side. The steel of the blade shone menacingly while reflecting the pale ceiling light.

"You cannot fight yourself!" the other whispered.

"You're not me!" Jay screamed in rage. He aimed the knife forward, ready to strike.

Not Jay let out a loud, dark laugh, then his form began to shrink. The light brown hair turned red and the green eyes turned blue. Now a young man who was a complete stranger stood before him, an expression of naked fear on his face.

"Put that knife away!" he stammered in an English accent. "Or I'll call the police!"

Muttering his apologies, Jay ran out of the restroom. Lia was waiting impatiently for him outside.

"Your father isn't in there. We'll have to search for Tim by ourselves!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay and Lia head to a nearby quarry in their search for Tim, where they come across something rather unexpected.

 A concerned expression settled on Lia's face.

"Then...we'd better...check the ghost train," she murmured, glancing quickly at the sky. Then she ran.

The clouds had already begun to fade and were being slowly replaced by the twinkling of stars. _We’re running out of time,_ Jay noted with horror. In the fading light, he ran back the way he had come. Past the bowling alley and the carousel, as fast as his legs could carry him. He felt as if he were trying to escape the horror he had encountered in the bathroom. Out of breath, he stopped beside Lia, who was kneeling down in the tall grass in front of the ghost train.

"What are you doing?" he asked, gasping for air.

She pointed to a patch where the blades of grass were bent. Footprints were visible next to a long trail which was indented in the grass. A drag mark. And there was something else. Stones. They were gray and sharp-edged, and it looked like someone had chipped them out of a rock.

"I read in the pamphlet that there's a quarry nearby. If this thing has kidnapped Tim, it must have come from there. And it must have taken him back there too!" she concluded.

The brunette eagerly began to follow the trail. Jay doubtfully trudged after her. That thing had never left any clues as to its whereabouts before. And why would it take Tim to a quarry? From what he'd seen in Entry #65, it seemed to have more of a preference for teleporting its victims into water and almost drowning them.

They climbed over the chain link fence that surrounded the site. The grass was very high on the other side of the road and it was difficult to traverse in the dark. Jay grazed his calves several times on something he was sure were thorns. As they walked side by side, the incident from the restroom flashed through his mind. No matter what he did, it only got worse. Had it just been a hallucination after all? Maybe he was slowly going insane. Jay had always thought that Alex was the crazy one, but was he really any better?

"Hey, look!" said Lia.

They had reached the periphery of the quarry. The rocks were jagged and jutted up like spearheads. An abyss opened up beneath them, it was hard to say how deep it went.

"How are we supposed to get down there?" Jay wondered.

He inwardly cursed himself for having put his backpack in a locker, a flashlight would have come in handy right now.

Lia let out an indifferent snort. "Screw it!" She swung her legs over the edge and let herself fall.

She hit the ground hard. The bottom had been farther down than she'd expected. She was winded and her hands and knees felt like they were on fire. She scrambled to her feet with difficulty. A hole had been torn in her pants, through which blood was seeping from a gash in her leg.

"Lia?" She heard Jay's voice from above her.

"You can come down!" she replied. "But be careful..." She heard a muffled sound followed by a scream, "...it's really deep."

Embarrassed, Jay got to his feet and dusted himself off. He took in his surroundings, turning full circle. Stone walls as far as the eye could see. However, his biggest concern was how they were going to get out of there. Before he could give serious thought to it, something on an overhanging rock wall glowed. He stepped closer, filled with curiosity. A speckle of crystals glowed in a faint blue shimmer.

"Bioluminescence," he remarked on the wondrous spectacle.

"Huh?" Lia was standing beside him.

"When something shines by itself."

In the faint light, Jay spotted a ledge engraved with intricate patterns. On closer inspection, they turned out to be letters, each one carefully carved into the stone.

 

> **A CRÈCHE LIFTS HI TUMOR**

 

"That doesn't make any sense," Jay muttered.

"How can we solve this?" Lia asked.

They had no time to waste. They were almost there and Tim was nearby. If he was still alive, God knows what that thing was doing to him.

She turned to him defiantly. "Come on! You went to college, you're educated! Figure it out!"

Jay sighed. "Even though I know what these words mean, I don't understand the puzzle."

Lia looked at the words again but she couldn't concentrate for some reason. Was it referring to a group of children in an elevator? Or perhaps children with tumors? She just couldn't make sense out of any of it.

"Wait a minute," Jay said, kneeling down.

He wrote out the words in the dirt with his finger. Then he crossed out certain letters and wrote them on a new line above the original.

 

> **A CLICHE SHORTER MUFTI**

 

"I think it's an anagram. You have to rearrange the letters, like those puzzles you get in the newspaper."

He wrote the letters out a third time.

 

> **TOR AUF STREICHEL MICH**

 

"It's German," Jay explained. "It means 'for door stroke me'."

"You're awesome!" Lia cheered and hugged him.

She couldn't believe he had solved it. She would never have been able to do it alone. Jay simply grinned, went over to the rock and gently stroked it. It felt rough and sharp on his skin. At that very moment, the ground started to shift beneath them. It crunched and cracked ominously before a crack opened up and swallowed the two of them up.

They fell into a net made of woven grass. Lia immediately began to kick and thrash wildly and ended up elbowing Jay in the temple. Cursing, he fumbled for his pocket knife. With his remaining strength, he cut through the netting. They fell through it and landed roughly. He scrambled to his feet and was stunned. More of the intriguing crystals were growing on the walls, spreading up to the ceiling in stylish curves. Their light illuminated the underground chamber well enough that Jay could make out a large object in the corner. Confused, he ran towards it. It was a large, stone box with a decorated lid. Large enough for a human to fit in. It was a coffin.

"Oh, God!" he choked, then cried out, "He...He's dead! He's been killed! It killed him and now he's dead!"

He clapped his hands over his face in desperation and shook his head. Tears spilled through between his fingers. He rocked back and forth sobbing, as if he were in a trance. He would have carried on like that indefinitely if Lia hadn't gone over to him and shaken him to his senses.

"Calm down!" she yelled. "You don't even know what's in there yet, so pull yourself together and help me get this thing open!"

With difficulty, Jay suppressed his panic. Lia was right, they had to look inside it. Shaking with tension, he braced himself against the lid and pushed. Slowly but surely, the heavy plate moved further and further towards the edge and eventually crashed to the ground. Lia courageously leaned over to look inside the coffin. As Jay had feared, Tim was inside. Or rather, an abstract version of Tim. His dark hair was longer and came down over his forehead, his skin was deathly pale and resembled porcelain, his lips were blood red, they looked like they had been painted. Instead of his usual plaid shirt, washed out jeans and black hiking boots, he now wore a white shirt, a green tunic with gold embroidery, gray pants and long brown boots. A crown of metal flowers sat on his head and he held a crystal-studded sword in his hands.

In short, Tim looked like a doll. Lia almost feared that if he did open his eyes, it might turn out that they were made of glass.

What the hell had happened to him?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story takes a **_very_** bizarre turn.

"Do you like what you see?"

Out of the shadows stepped the three most beautiful figures Jay had ever encountered. Two males and one female. They all had long, silvery hair that poured down over their backs like a waterfall. Their bodies were cloaked in white robes which sparkled in the glow of the crystals. Each one wore a metal crown, similar to the one Tim was wearing. However, what Jay found most striking were their faces. Deathly white skin stretched tightly over sharp cheekbones, blood-red lips, perfectly straight noses and eyes which glowed the color of moonlight.

"What have we here? Prisoners?" said one of the males in a voice that sounded like chimes in the wind.

"Elves!" Jay whispered in awe.

Now the female approached Lia. "Nothing special. Her hair is dark and dull, her skin is impure. This would be unthinkable for our race." She disparagingly twisted a lock of Lia's hair between her fingers.

Lia scowled. Even though she did not fully understand what was meant by that, she wanted nothing more than to take Jay's pocket knife and slash a few ugly cuts into the female elf's face.

"We're here for my brother," she called. "Give him back to us!"

An elf giggled to himself like an amused toddler. Another elf emerged from the darkness, rolling a golden cage. It was tall with ornate bars and resembled a birdcage.

"The King has already been informed of your presence. He is eager to meet you," he said.

"What? An _elf_ king?" Lia snorted.

She shouldn't have said that. The elf shoved her and Jay into the cage with such force that her elbows and knees began to hurt again. A thin trickle of blood seeped out through her pants from the wound on her leg.

Lia and Jay were silent as the cage they were in was rolled through several damp caves. The crystals sparkled on the walls and gave off some light. They could hear muffled voices from beneath the ground, they sounded like a swarm of bees.

As they passed through a cavern with bats circling overhead, Lia involuntarily suppressed a shudder. For as long as she could remember, she had had an aversion to the flying mammals. She found their red eyes and leathery wings terrifying.

In the next underground chamber, small pieces of metal were scattered all over the floor. But on closer inspection, it was clear that they had not been tossed there randomly, but deliberately positioned. A silver rabbit lay on its side with a turning key in its neck. As the cage rolled by, it stirred and hopped after them with glowing sapphire eyes. Jay gave it a longing look. He was probably imagining himself disassembling it to see how it worked.

From there, they continued into a huge hall in which a tall tree stood. However, its trunk was not made of wood, but of polished metal. Its branches and leaves spread creaking above them, like a ceiling.

"The first iron tree. A beauty that will never die," thundered a voice.

Lia and Jay both shuddered. At the foot of the tree stood a golden, jewelled throne. Upon it sat a young man, younger than Tim. His hair was as silvery as that of the other elves, but it was plaited into two thick braids and tied with fine ribbons. A crown adorned his head, the peaks of which consisted of complicated flourishes. He wore a snow-white robe, and around his shoulders hung a transparent cloak, finely woven like a spider's web. Tilting his upper body slightly forward, he studied them with interest from cold, gray irises.

"Your Highness King Fenian, here they are. They came for the girl's brother, as you said they would," said one elf, bowing deeply.

The Elf King rose. "Welcome, mortals. You should feel honored to have been granted the privilege to enter this place. And now you will spend the rest of your lives here."

Lia shook the bars angrily. "I don't care! What have you done to Tim?"

"Bring him to me!" the King ordered with a grim expression.

Six elves stumbled into the hall, the coffin on their shoulders. With a thud, they set it down before disappearing, bowing constantly for the duration of their exit.

Jay swallowed. He had gone pale. "Did you ki...kill him?"

King Fenian laughed. "No, of course not! I will now tell you everything. First of all, we have not harmed your friend in any way. We found him on the edge of the quarry. He was lying unconscious in the grass, the poor thing. He was completely filthy, his mind in ruins. I took pity on him, so I decided to grant him a gift." A sinister smile played across his lips. "The gift of immortality! Just look at him now!"

Lia looked at her brother. His skin was even paler now and a lock of his hair had turned silver.

The King seemed to have noticed the look in her eyes and grinned broadly. "He is slowly but surely transforming into one of us. He will become an elf, a race that is more graceful, more beautiful and more intelligent than you humans can ever hope to be."

Anger overcame Lia. Her fingers gripped the bars and her jaw muscles clenched. Her cheeks flushed red with rage. "I think that's the most dreadful gift he's ever received," she said through gritted teeth.

"Take the prisoners away! I cannot tolerate this disrespect a moment longer!" King Fenian exclaimed, as if he had bitten into a particularly sour lemon.

Two elves appeared and pushed the cage out of the hall. Lia was about to open her mouth to protest when Jay nudged her into silence. His green eyes sent warnings to her to keep her mouth shut. In frustration, she lowered her head and bit her lip. She had screwed up. If she had only held back, they might still have been able to bargain with the King, to find a way to escape with Tim. But now? Now Tim was going to become a goddamn elf. Would he still even recognize her? She didn't have any answers. In that moment, she was just a stupid little girl who didn't know when to shut up.

A single tear emerged from her dark lashes and ran down her cheek.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While being held captive by the elves, Lia makes a confession to Jay about her past.

 

Lia hardly noticed anything about their journey to the dungeon. She closed her eyes, they were burning with tears.

"Here we are," said one of the elves who had taken them there.

His hair was tied back and instead of a robe, he wore a spotty apron which had various rusty keys and tools hanging from it.

"You are dismissed!" he instructed the other elf, who left instantly.

The dungeon was illuminated by a single lantern, which cast eerie shadows against the bare stone walls. A rustling sound came from somewhere, it was probably a rat. She almost choked on the thought of how many germs were swarming around in here.

The elf regarded the two prisoners for a moment. He then decided that they didn't pose much of a threat to him, yawned and lay down on a sack which was leaning against the door. Shortly thereafter, a light snore could be heard from him.

Distraught, Lia slumped down even further and leaned her head against Jay's shoulder. "All of this is my fault," she whispered. "I should have known something bad would happen in the ghost train. We're never going to get out of here, Tim's gonna turn into a goddamn elf and forget us. And it's all because of me. I'm such a terrible person!"

Jay stared at her indignantly. "Oh, don't talk nonsense! You've only just found Tim recently and I'd still be dead if it wasn't for you! Besides, it's not our mistakes that are important, but the good deeds we do." He spoke the last sentence in a gentler tone.

But she wasn't comforted by that. "You wouldn't be saying that if you got to know me properly."

Jay sighed. For some reason, this conversation was starting to remind him of Entry #66.

"There are...some things we need to talk about," she muttered meekly.

"Why am I not surprised?" he snorted. Yes, this was definitely going to be like Entry #66.

Lia took a deep breath and continued. "When I said I was adopted, I lied. I was in a foster homes, but they always gave me back. They all thought I was creepy, and they were probably right. I've _done things_ since I was born. Terrible things. I can't remember most of them, but I do remember that I hurt a boy when I was in first grade. It was summer, just before the end of semester. One of the classrooms was being renovated and there was rubble and debris everywhere. So I took a piece of broken glass and cut the boy's finger. It started to bleed immediately and he ran off to find a teacher. He was screaming horribly and left a trail of blood as he went. And I...I laughed. I stood there with the shard of glass in my hand and laughed, like a lunatic. After that, I got moved from one family to another, none of them could cope with me for long. The last family was warned about me beforehand and hid all my files from me, until I found them in the attic along with the picture of Tim. To be honest, I was glad to have an excuse to leave. They never talked to me much, they were probably worried that I'd go nuts if they tried. Well, that's my story."

She looked at him and tears of shame had welled up in her eyes. Jay started to speak, looking for a way to refute her words in order to console her, but he found none. His mind was blank, so he remained silent. The silence settled over them like a wet cloak, threatening to suffocate them.

After a while, however, their silent sorrow was broken by a growl. The source was next to Jay. Lia pressed a hand over her stomach in an attempt to suppress the noises.

"No, you don't have to do that," he said firmly. In a louder voice he shouted, "Hey, you! Wake up, we're hungry!"

Groaning, the elf got up. "I suppose I'll go and see what I can find."

He was about to turn to leave when Lia's words interrupted him.

"How are you going to give it to us? This thing doesn't have a door."

He turned and laughed haughtily. "Oh yes, I know. I built the cage myself. Sturdy, isn't it?"

"Of course," she replied with unmistakable sarcasm. "Totally sturdy."

She rolled her eyes annoyed. It was bad enough that they were locked up in there, but now this elf was rubbing their noses in it too. Jay's mouth twisted up slightly at this. It was good to get the old Lia back again.

The elf approached them and pointed between the two bars in the middle. "If you look closely, you can see a keyhole. It's no wider than a finger and requires a key the size of a toenail. I myself forged this key after many hours of hard work." A dreamy expression spread across his face.

"Can you open it?" Jay asked.

"You want to see how it works?"

"Sure!" Lia shouted. She couldn't believe that they were actually getting away with this. She had thought all elves were intelligent as well as conceited, but apparently there were exceptions.

The elf cleared his throat and then took a key from his apron with a pompous expression. It actually was only the size of a toenail and had a complicated pattern engraved into it. With a skilful motion, he inserted the key and turned it. It clicked and rattled briefly before the bars sprang slightly apart. Jay and Lia rushed forward, but the elf quickly slammed the opening shut again.

"You actually dared to attempt to escape by using such a ridiculous ruse as this? Well..."

But he did not get to continue his sentence because Lia thrust her hand through the bars and snatched the key from his grasp. It fell clattering to the ground. Before the elf could react, Jay had already caught it. He pocketed it and the two leaped out. The elf lunged at them, but Lia knocked him out with a blow to the temple, causing him to stagger back and slam into a candlestick. He then slumped to the ground and lay motionless.

Then they ran back to the throne room, which was empty, surprisingly. Panting, they came to a stop in front of Tim's casket. Lia shook Tim's shoulder, but there was no reaction. Holding his nose had no effect either. Her brother remained stock-still, like a doll.

"Do you think we should try kissing him?" she asked Jay.

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Like Snow White? Ugh, I certainly won't be doing that!"

The truth was that Lia didn't want to either. Tim had never been a particularly affectionate person, he had even vehemently refused her offer of a simple hug. If he ever found out that she had kissed him, he would probably kill her himself. _On the other hand, he doesn't have to find out about it, does he?_ She bent low over him and her lips cautiously approached his forehead.

"Found you!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their escape attempt thwarted, Jay and Lia are forced by King Fenian to attend Tim's transformation ceremony, but it doesn't go quite according to plan.

 

Lia froze. She could almost feel each of the hairs on the back of her neck stand up one by one. The voice could only belong to one person — Fenian.

She turned around slowly. The Elf King was standing directly behind her. A wicked smile adorned his beautiful face.

"So you broke out of the cage. How extraordinary. I underestimated your intelligence."

This remark sounded casual on the surface, but the dangerously quiet tone suggested the opposite. Her heart pounded as fast and hard as a jack hammer. Her throat felt constricted. She couldn't speak but she didn't have to.

The King continued. "Were you trying to bring your brother back?" He smiled. "You stupid girl. That would never have worked. Only I can bring him back. Congratulations, you've arrived just in time for the ritual."

Lia turned her head to Jay. He was standing rooted to the spot, eyes wide open, lower lip quivering. She silently prayed that he wouldn't start to cry, that would only make things worse. They heard a noise behind them. Several elves entered, they were carrying benches. They arranged them in a circle around the coffin. Candles were lit and the entire throne room was bathed in a heavy, golden light. If Lia didn't know otherwise, she would have assumed that a fancy party was about to take place there.

More elves arrived and the room was soon packed. There was silver hair and white robes as far as the eye could see. Lia and Jay were led to a bench in the front row. Apparently, the Elf King took great pleasure in seeing them suffer this way. He stood in front of an altar and all conversation immediately ceased. His majestic presence was almost palpable. He eyed everyone present with his moon-colored irises. He paused on Lia for a moment. His eyes seemed to pierce her like a thousand needles. It was as if he could see inside her, right to the bottom of her soul. She held his gaze firmly, trying hard to block him from her mind.

Then he began to speak. "My brothers and sisters. We are gathered here today to witness an unforgettable event. After all this time, I have finally found a way to defeat our enemies. From now on, none of us will have to hide underground anymore. It is for this reason that this young man will become an elf tonight."

Enthusiastic applause resounded through the crowd. Lia felt her stomach turn over. She clenched her hands into fists and stuffed them into her pockets to cope with her rising anger, which immediately turned to fear. Fenian left the altar and headed towards the coffin. His footsteps were so light they were barely audible. Two elves hurried to his side and bowed low. Treating this as permission to proceed, they lifted the stone lid. It landed on the floor with a thud. A murmur of admiration could be heard as the figure was revealed to the audience. Tim's hair had now turned almost completely silver, only a few black strands remained, peeking out here and there. His skin shone in an otherworldly white.

"Time to wake up."

Fenian leaned over the motionless body. Then he opened Tim's mouth and his own mouth. It looked like he was sucking in air from Tim. Surprisingly, that was exactly what he was doing. A fine, shimmering vapor seeped from between Tim's lips and vanished into Fenian's mouth.

Everyone waited anxiously. Seconds passed, the seconds turned into minutes. Lia had long since lost all sense of time and was just staring at her brother. The cold claws of fear closed slowly around her heart.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

 

******

 

Tim was confused. He did not quite understand what he was seeing. There was a man in front of him and many people around him. What was going on here? He cautiously sat up and yawned. He felt like he had been asleep for a hundred years. A goblet was handed to him and he gratefully started to drink from it. But just before the liquid reached his tongue, he paused. Something wasn't right. A memory came flooding back, as violent and searing as a tidal wave.

 

******

 

He was laying on the ground, a cough sticking in his throat. He retched and spat something out. He then saw the blood on the grass. The green of the stems had changed to red. His lungs felt clogged up, he couldn't breathe. Air, he needed air! And then a hand appeared out of nowhere. He seized it without hesitation, using it to pull himself up out of the sea of horror. Panting, he gasped in the oxygen. A man was standing in front of him. He was dressed in white and had silver hair and bright eyes. _An angel!_

"My name is King Fenian. Come with me, you are safe now."

Tim complied. Anything was better than being followed by that thing. The other man helped him along. They went to a quarry, the walls were lit up by crystals. It was nice here. Fenian seated him at a table and brought him a tray with an apple on it.

"Eat," he said with a smile. "You must be hungry."

The green skin of the apple was as shiny as a gemstone. Tim now realized just how hungry he was. He took a hearty bite. The fruit tasted sweet and juicy. He was just about to thank his host when he noticed that his surroundings were becoming blurry. It was getting increasingly difficult for him to keep his eyes open. Fenian grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and dragged him along. Tim's lips now felt too heavy for him to be able to protest. They arrived in another room. The King was now pulling him towards a stone box. _No! That's a coffin!_ Fenian mercilessly pushed him inside.

"Sweet dreams, Timothy. When you wake up, everything will be different!"

Tim used the last of his strength to scream. "NO!"

The lid closed above him.

 

******

 

Anger bubbled up inside Tim. Fenian had betrayed him, used him! A fire blazed in his stomach, setting his senses alight, making his blood boil. Disgusted, he threw away the goblet, which crashed against a wall and shattered. He was so distraught that he didn't know what to do. Something stirred in the back of his mind.

_"Kill him!"_

_Masky._ He usually only expressed ideas or made sarcastic remarks. But now he was giving him direct instructions, speaking clearly and explicitly to him.

_"Kill him! Kill them all!"_

_"But I can't do that!"_ he thought desperately.

He couldn't believe it. He was having an internal conversation with his second personality.

_"Yes, you can! Join forces with me! Together we will succeed!"_

The young man straightened his shoulders. Yes, he wanted revenge at any cost, even if it meant he had to sacrifice his principles. He took a deep breath and gave in. But this time he did not fall into the infinite abyss of his psyche. The threads of his mind were left intact. Instead, it was like something squeezed in next to him. It was as if his consciousness was a car and someone had just sat down in the passenger seat.

Tim climbed out of the coffin. He had control of his limbs, that was good. His fingers closed around a cold object, the handle of the sword. The elves looked up, expressions of shock and horror were written in their faces. The corners of his mouth twisted into a grin. He briefly closed his eyes and when he opened them again, they had turned completely black. The whites of his eyes were no longer visible. Still grinning, he stormed into the crowd. Screams resounded in his ears and he could hear yelling. Growling, he grabbed the elf closest to him. His field of vision was blurred at the edges. It didn't matter, it meant he could focus better on his target. He thrust the sword into where he guessed his enemy's throat was. A squelching sound, then a gurgle, then something warm splashed against his face. It didn't matter. He fought his way further and further through the crowd, piercing organs, breaking bones. The screams accompanied him, like a melody of death.

Eventually, there was nobody left. Bodies lay strewn around him with holes in their chests or their necks twisted. The floor was saturated with blood. There was only the one person left with whom he had a score to settle.

Trembling with fear, Fenian cowered behind his throne. He had not been prepared for this attack. The elves probably didn't have many enemies in general. Tim stood over the King and aimed the sword to his chest.

His voice was stone cold, like ice. "Let's see you rebuild your race now."

Then the pressure disappeared and returned to the back of his head. His hair turned back to black, the color returned to his cheeks again and his eyes reverted to brown. Tim felt exhausted.

"Use the sword as a cane," Lia suggested.

He was relieved to hear his sister's voice. Jay appeared beside him and supported him. Together they hauled themselves out of the quarry.

None of the three quite understood how, but they were suddenly back at the theme park.

Tim shuddered as the realization dawned on him. "I killed them."

Jay gulped. He had never seen murder on that scale before, so he was also upset. As for Lia, she had been quiet all the way back.

They heard footsteps behind them. Jay whirled around. John Wright was standing there wearing his usual scuffed leather jacket. It was as if he had never disappeared. The only thing different about him was the worry lines on his forehead. Tim rushed towards his father and threw himself into his arms.

"I killed the elves! All of them! I wiped out a whole race!" He sobbed into his father's chest.

Mr Wright stroked Tim's hair. "I don't care. The most important thing is that you're here. Everything's going to be fine now, my son."

"I missed you, Dad," Tim mumbled.

Tim then realized that this was the first time he had called him Dad. Maybe everything was going to be fine, after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now safely back at home, Tim reflects on his actions and doesn't react well when his father tries to give him a blood transfusion.

****Lia slept for most of the journey home, leaning her head against Jay's shoulder and muttering softly. She actually looked rather sweet, Tim thought. He himself sat stiffly in his seat. He had slept enough. He tried to focus on the passing trees in an effort to distract himself from thinking about what had happened. His father turned his head to look at him occasionally but didn't say anything, for which Tim was grateful. The last thing he felt like doing was talking.

After about an hour, the hunting lodge finally came into view. He wordlessly slammed the door of the Cadillac, which earned him a reproachful clearing of the throat from Mr Wright. It was a black 1962 model which had cost him a fortune.

But Tim didn't care. He followed Jay and Lia inside with heavy steps. Fortunately, they didn't have anything to discuss with him. His sister had already told him everything in the car, down to the smallest detail. They learned that the elves had not been seen for centuries and were therefore thought to have been extinct. Well, now they actually were. Tim looked down at himself. His clothes were bloody, torn and covered in dirt. And he hated this medieval outfit. It was definitely time for him to take a bath. He purposefully entered the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He took off his clothes slowly, every muscle aching at the slightest movement. Then he turned around. He usually avoided mirrors, not because his appearance bothered him, but that he always had the feeling that something was lurking behind his eyes. But now he took a good look at himself. He started with his jet-black hair, combed into a loose side parting. One time when he was in elementary school, his mother had dragged him to a barber shop for a haircut because he was going to have his photograph taken. She made the barber cut his hair very short. "This is what a boy's hair should be like," she had told him. The next day it was just as long as it had been before.

"It grows like weeds," she used to say.

He moved on to his eyes, chocolate brown irises which sometimes appeared as dark as two abysses. His nose, with the slight bend in the bridge. His mouth, the lower lip of which was marginally more prominent than the upper one. His slightly hairy chest and his stomach which bulged a little around his waistline. All in all, nothing out of the ordinary. It was hard to believe that this body belonged to a man who had snuffed out countless lives.

Tim quickly turned away from the mirror and turned on the bathtub faucet. The sound of the water soothed him. He waited until the tub was filled with water and got in. The warmth enveloped him like an embrace. With a contented sigh, he sank lower into the water. He slowly dipped his head under and looked at the bubbles floating above him on the surface. It was as if all his problems were being washed away. He would have like to have spent hours in this position, however he started to feel the painful effect of the lack of oxygen in his throat. Panting, he brought his head back above the surface. Cool air settled on his wet skin and ruthlessly hauled him back to reality.

"Tim!"

Groaning, he drained the water from the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist. His short-lived tranquillity was over. In the living room, his father was waiting for him.

"What's the matter?" he asked, feeling confused.

"Lie down on the sofa."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Lie down on the sofa!" This time it was a command.

Tim did as he was told. His father disappeared into the basement. An unsettling feeling came over him. What was going on here? This feeling did not improve when Mr Wright returned carrying a drip stand and a plastic medical pouch in which dark red liquid sloshed around.

"What...What are you doing?" He tried to suppress the tremor in his voice.

Mr Wright hung the pouch on the stand and attached a narrow, transparent tube to it. "I need to make sure you have no Elven magic left in your system. I'm going to give you a blood transfusion."

As soon as he caught sight of the shining needle approaching the crook of his arm, he began to panic. Images flashed through his mind. A face half covered by a mask, a bright light that blinded him, a finger flicking against a syringe.

"Relax, Timothy, it's just a little prick. Then you'll fall asleep."

Another voice in the background said, "Is everything ready for the operation?"

He screamed and screamed, kicking wildly in the air. No, he didn't want to be cut open! He had to fight, he had to...A hand pushed him back onto the pillows.

"Calm down, damn it! Tim, I'm not going to hurt you!"

His father was leaning over him. His eyes were filled with worry and exhaustion. And something else lurked in those eyes too, something old and broken. Tim swallowed his panic. He wasn't a child anymore, he was an adult and he was at home. He was in a safe place.

"You're afraid of needles," his father stated.

Tim nodded, embarrassed. He had made a complete exhibition of himself, he felt like such a hysterical wreck. Mr Wright took hold of his hand. His fingers were as rough as Tim's own.

"Nothing bad will happen, this is my blood," he promised.

And Tim believed him. He took a deep breath and then nodded, giving his father permission to proceed. A second later, he felt a tiny sting. Something warm spread through his veins. As the blood flowed into him, he looked at the wooden ceiling and counted the knotholes. One, two, three, four, five...Then there was a knock on the door. His father stood up and went to answer it. Tim could hear voices. He sat up to see who it was. Brian was standing in the hallway with Jessica by his side.

_Goddamnit!_ He had completely forgotten about her!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay is happy to see Jessica again and he and the others bring her up to speed on the situation.

One person definitely hadn't forgotten. Jay charged out of the kitchen and literally threw himself at Jessica. Tim had never seen him look so happy.

"Jessica, I thought you were dead!" he croaked out in a choked voice.

The brunette frowned. "I thought _you_ were dead!"

Brian looked at Tim apologetically. He had probably had no choice other than to bring her to the house. Mr Wright led the two of them into the living room. There was a lot to talk about. Jessica sat down on a chair and rubbed her palms together nervously, even though she had no reason to feel nervous. After all, she didn't owe anyone an explanation. Instead, they started to explain things to her. They started from the beginning with Alex's student film, then moved on to Jay's discoveries, _that_ thing, Tim's past, Alex's plan to kill everyone, how Jay and Brian had died, how Tim met Lia, how they found Jay, how they discovered that Alex was alive, how they defeated Alex, about Tim's abduction and how he fought the elves. All the while she listened attentively, without a single interruption.

After all that, she remained silent for a moment. Her expression was a mixture of horror, understanding, disbelief and pity, pretty much all at once. Tim was worried that she was in shock.

"So there's a faceless thing that was stalking you and it drove Alex crazy, right?" she summarized.

They all nodded.

"Then why does nobody seem to know about this? I mean, a lot of people watched the videos on YouTube."

Mr Wright sighed. "Yes, the SCP has long known of its existence, but nobody has yet managed to capture it. It has the ability to manipulate thoughts and teleport."

"Is there any way to defeat it then?" Jessica asked dejectedly.

"If it is possible for such a thing to exist, then it is also possible to defeat it."

Tim remained silent, but a thought kept nagging at him. He was sure that there was something that his father wasn't telling them, that he knew how to defeat that thing. Maybe he wasn't allowed to talk about it. It must be a secret. _The remaining pages!_ If they found all eight, it would finally make sense. Five were still hidden, but how would they find them? They had discovered the first one more or less by accident.

 

******

 

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. Jay was spending time with Jessica, Lia was doing something in her room and Brian was sleeping on the couch opposite him. Only Tim remained restless. The transfusion had been completed and was successful, so he was free to move around. Like a predator on the hunt for his prey, he sneaked through the house. Everything was in complete darkness, except for the little lights from the stove and radio in the kitchen, which was enough light for him to be able to see the wooden floorboards. There was an unusual silence in the room. It was, of course, better than noise, but it was still somewhat disturbing. Tim eventually got into bed, his eyelids heavy.

After a while, he woke up again. The window was open and caused eerie shadows on the walls. He was sure he had closed it. Frowning, he got up and padded into the living room. The sofa was empty, there was no trace of Brian. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something was very wrong. He went to the hall and opened the front door. A sea of trees spread out before him. Black and bare, with gnarled branches. It was true that the house was at the edge of the forest, but where had the driveway gone? Tim took a few cautious steps forward. There was the sound of rustling and crackling, and when he turned around, he saw that he was now surrounded by trees. The leaves blocked his view in every direction. A fear rose in him, the likes of which he hadn't felt for a long time. The blood froze in his veins and his mind went blank. All he knew was that these trees would kill him.

A moment later, the landscape was rushing past him. He looked down and realized that he was running, but not fast enough. Creaking branches reached for him, tearing at his clothes. Blood flowed from the cuts in his flesh. Faces formed in the trunks, hollow, empty eyes narrowed in anger, and sadistically grinning mouths. Tim was running for his life. Then his shoe caught on something and his forehead hit the ground, splashing mud all around. He crawled away in panic, but it was too late. A linden tree bent down over him, its thick trunk heaving and convulsing with laughter, its bare, wet branches reaching down towards him.

"Wake up, Tim! It's just a nightmare! Wake up!"

Tim woke up in bed with a jolt. Brian was standing over him, lightly slapping his cheek. Groaning, he sat up. His neck felt cool and clammy. He ran his hand over it and looked at his wet fingertips. Cold sweat.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked, massaging his temples.

His friend shrugged and pointed to his throat. He had spent so much time trying to wake Tim up that he had now lost his voice and could no longer speak. Tim nodded in understanding and got dressed. According to the clock in the kitchen, it was now nine o'clock. Jay, Lia and Jessica were already sitting at the table, Mr Wright was at work. After some coffee and buttered toast, Tim told them about his plan, that he wanted to search for the remaining pages. Brian was sceptical about the plan at first, but Jay said they would have to do something. How else would they defeat that thing?

 

******

 

So they packed some clothes into backpacks. They would buy food later on at the gas station. Half an hour later, they were all sitting in the car.

Tim turned around to face the others. "You all have to promise me something. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. And if I tell you to save yourselves, then that's exactly what you do."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim, Jay, Brian, Jessica and Lia hit the road in search of the remaining pages and end up making an interesting discovery in a museum.

****It had been eight hours since they had departed the house. Eight hours in which they had done nothing but drive and occasionally stop to take bathroom breaks. Tim yawned heartily. Jay had already offered to switch places with him, driving while tired was never a good idea. Exhausted, Tim glanced at his phone, but rejected the notion of calling his father again. If he were to do that, he might as well forget about his plan then and there. He considered Lia's suggestion of going back to Rosswood Park or the tunnel. It wasn't actually a bad idea, but he felt uneasy about it. Besides, if the pages really were there, he and Jay would have found them back in the old days. That's what he kept telling himself until he was convinced it was true.

He felt that there was something strange about all this. Maybe it was the atmosphere in the car. Nobody was speaking and the silence was amplifying the thoughts in his mind. Either that or his paranoia was rearing its ugly head again. Everything had felt kind of weird lately, but that was nothing new. He would have been more shocked if the opposite had been true.

"Everything is fine," Tim murmured, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

He sighed softly. Hunger was gradually coming over him. The breakfast hadn't been enough to sustain him through the day. Despite his earlier dismissal, he picked up his phone while the car was stopped at a red light. An orange exclamation mark flashed on the screen. Only five percent battery remaining. That would be just enough to send a short text message. He quickly wrote that they were taking a road trip and didn't know exactly when they would be coming back, which he then sent to his father. And that was the truth.

He put the phone back in the cup holder and his eyes met the camera lens for a split second before he turned it around so it was filming the road. He had always hated being filmed and it had been pure torture seeing himself in the Marble Hornets entries, not to mention what he had been captured doing in them.

On the left side of the street, he spotted a fast food restaurant and parked in a vacant lot near the entrance.

"Do we really have to eat fast food?" Jessica complained.

"I do," snapped Tim. "I've had nothing to eat since this morning and I'm starving."

None of them paid attention to the menu, they each just ordered a sandwich and a drink of water. Although Tim's stomach ached from hunger, he picked the ham from between the slices of bread and ate only that. A sudden disquiet had come over him. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were wasting their time, making no progress, and that frustrated him. Brian looked at him concerned. He quickly stuffed food into his mouth, which didn't really make him feel any better. Instead, he tapped his foot impatiently until his knee accidentally nudged Jay, who spilled his drink all over himself.

"What's the matter?" Brian asked.

Tim dejectedly ran a hand through his hair. "We've been driving for over eight hours now and we still haven't gotten any closer to the truth. That's what the matter is."

"Let's try looking at the other pages again, maybe we're missing something," Jay suggested.

Tim shook his head. There was nothing in them that they hadn't already seen. Besides, he wasn't going to waste his time poring over old stuff like Jay. On the other hand, what else could they do? He gave in and retrieved the pages from his pocket, spreading them out on the table. They all leaned over to look at the pages, trying to read between the lines, trying to find a hidden message. Without success.

"Well, if there is something here, I'm too stupid to see it," Jessica muttered after a while.

As the others nodded in agreement, Lia jumped up from her chair excitedly. She frantically tapped the first note.

 

> **Lace Idle**
> 
> **Dinar Frosh**
> 
> **Jean Creel**

 

Tim read the names one by one. He didn't understand, what was so special about this?

Jay slapped his forehead with his hand.

"Contact details! If anyone has information, then it'll be one of them! How could we have overlooked something so obvious?" he laughed.

Tim felt the scales fall from his eyes. Jean Creel had helped them.

"Well done, Lia. You see, you're not stupid at all," Jay praised her.

Tim smiled furtively. They finally had a goal again.

 

******

 

A short while later, they were standing outside Lace Idle's front door. Tim stepped forward and rang the bell. A chime sounded. Ten seconds elapsed before footsteps approached and a hazy silhouette appeared behind the frosted glass. The door opened and an elderly man poked his head out. His gray curls only partially covered his scalp and his blue irises flashed suspiciously at them from behind the lenses of his spectacles.

"I'm Tim Wright, John's son," Tim managed, embarrassed.

Immediately, the man's expression changed. He stepped outside and planted his hands on Tim's shoulders.

"Let me take a look at you," he said. "You definitely have John's hair and eyes. And his build. What brings you here?"

"My friends and I are here about the pages. My dad mentioned your name," Tim replied.

Lace Idle nodded. "He said you'd show up someday. The page you're looking for isn't here. I keep them in the museum I work in. Come with me."

He maneuvered his car out of his garage and they drove from Woodmere Boulevard to Museum Boulevard, the latter branching off from the former. Lace led them into the lobby.

"Wait here, I'll go get it," he said, disappearing further into the museum.

All they could do now was wait. Tim decided to take a look around. The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts consisted of pale marble tiles on the floor and bare brick walls. The exhibits were in glass cabinets, which were either mounted on wooden pedestals or fixed to the walls. He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and wandered around the hall. He sang softly to himself. When he realized what the song was, he couldn't help but smile. It was _What's Up_ by 4 Non Blondes. He used to play the guitar and sing that song a lot when he was bored.

 

> " _And so I wake in the morning_
> 
> _And I step outside_
> 
> _And I take a deep breath and I get real high_
> 
> _And I scream from the top of my lungs_
> 
> _What's going on?_ "

 

Something hard slammed into Tim's forehead and wrenched him from his memories. Cursing, he rubbed the sore spot and took a step back. He had been so caught up in his reverie that he had walked into the wall. His anger turned to astonishment. Above him hung an oil painting, probably a few hundred years old. But that wasn't what he found so unusual. The painting showed a man standing on a rock. He was naked apart from a white cloth which covered his groin. He held a sword in his right hand, aiming it upwards so that it reached into the dark sky. His long, black hair was blowing in the wind. Opposite him was a dark cloud of smoke, there was a figure wearing armor floating in it. Its white head had no eyes, nose nor mouth.

Stricken with foreboding, he looked at the painting's information display.

 

> _**King Timetheus** _ **painted by André Wiegand circa 1864**

 

Timetheus. It was the Latin version of Timothy, his history teacher had once informed him.

"Guys?" he called. His voice sounded unusually high.

Jay, Lia, Brian and Jessica immediately came running over to him.

"Why are you screami-" Jay started to ask, but stopped as soon as he saw the painting.

The mouths of his friends gaped open They stared at the work of art as if they were hypnotized by it. It was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. Lia was the first to find her voice again.

"Tim, that's you!" she said stunned.

Tim protested. "That...That's not me! It just...looks like me!"

Admitting it would make it real, and that simply wasn't possible. Things like that only happened in movies and books, but not in real life, not to him.

"Here's one of Brian too!" Jay yelled from across the room.

They all went over to where Jay was standing and Tim's stomach seemed to have turned into a lump of ice. In this painting, he could once again see Timetheus, he was standing in front of a throne. Next to him was a young man. He had a pageboy haircut and small mustache.

 

> _**King Timetheus and his friend Lord Bryn** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim struggles to accept what is depicted in the painting and questions its authenticity.

 

Tim staggered backwards. It felt as if his legs could no longer support his weight. The ground seemed to collapse beneath him. The room seemed to be spinning around him. Sculptures, information displays and tapestries rushed past his eyes and turned into a wild medley of bright colors. And in the middle of it all, he just kept seeing that painting over and over again, that haunting painting, in crystal clear focus. It took him a moment to realize that it was he himself who was spinning and not the room. He unsteadily came to a halt. He felt dizzy and his temples were throbbing.

"I...I need to get some fresh air," he murmured, stumbling out of the room.

The throbbing turned into a persistent pain. His lungs felt constricted and he could barely breathe. Something told him he was having a panic attack. He remembered how he used to always have to carry an inhaler around with him, it was attached to an orange cord that he wore around his neck. _How useful that would be right now_ , he thought. Fighting for oxygen, he struggled forward. A blurry figure appeared beside him.

"Sir, can I help you?"

Tim blinked. It was a plump man wearing a suit, a CB radio peeping out from his breast pocket and a flashlight hanging from his belt. He was obviously one of the museum's security guards.

"That _King Timetheus_ painting," he gasped, "where did it come from?"

The man groaned. "Read the information display."

He turned to leave, but Tim grabbed his arm.

"No, it...it can't be real! It must be a hoax or something!" he insisted.

The guard yanked his arm free and angrily glared at Tim, his face slowly turning red. "Listen, sonny, our exhibits are thoroughly checked for authenticity, so it can't be a hoax. Now, if you don't mind, I have more important things to be doing!" His mustache quivered with every word.

Snorting, he marched off down the hall. Tim got down on his hands and knees and took deep breaths. _In and out, in and out._ _Calm down. Everything is fine._ He counted in his head. _One, three, five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen..._ A hand was suddenly laid on his back. Startled, he jumped up, but it just turned out to be Lace Idle. The old man smiled gently.

"I have the page."

Tim nodded and followed the man back to his friends. He unfolded the paper with shaking fingers.

 

> **King Timetheus lived in Europe in the 14 th century. In some stories, it is said that his enemy was a faceless knight. Evidence is provided in the form of various paintings by André Wiegand. He was crowned King at the age of nine. However, his reign ended when he was twenty-seven years old. What happened during this period is unknown. However, according to some sources, he is said to have been defeated in battle by the faceless knight and henceforth became a servant to the evil being.**

 

At the bottom of the page was a picture. The image was blurry but unmistakable. King Timetheus was kneeling before the faceless knight, clutching the sword in his hands, his forehead leaning against the hilt. The faceless being towered above him, placing a thin white hand on the King's head. The title of the picture was _The Fallen King_.

A lump formed in Tim's chest. His ancestor had apparently already fought that thing.

And lost.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim, Jay, Brian, Jessica and Lia enjoy a pleasant walk in the park.

 

Tim yawned and stretched as he got out of the car. The midday sun glared unpleasantly in his eyes and made him squint.

"And you're sure you're all right? I mean, with all that stuff with the painting and everything..." Jay said, stepping up beside him.

He sighed. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

In reality, the opposite was true. Absolutely nothing was fine. Ever since the museum, all he had thought about was this King Timetheus. Was he an ancestor of his? A previous incarnation? And if Timetheus had been defeated by that thing, would the same happen to him? He tried desperately to shake off the mental image of himself kneeling before the faceless knight while holding a bloody sword.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. Jessica smiled sympathetically at him. "Come on, let's go see this Dinar Frosh."

The way to Dinar Frosh's house took them through a park. The gravel path crunched underfoot and birds sang in the trees. It all conveyed a sense of peace, far away from worry and pain. Lia in particular seemed to like it. She had taken off her shoes and was paddling barefoot through a small stream which ran parallel to the path.

"Come on in! It's great!" she laughed.

Jay accepted the invitation first and was at once splashed by Lia. Brian and Jessica didn't need to be asked twice either. Tim hesitated for a moment. The enthusiasm felt by his friends seemed unreal to him. He feared that it would be over all too soon. On the other hand, he could use something to take his mind off things as well. And when was the last time he had really had any fun? Shaking his head, he ran over to join them. With his shoes in his hand, he jumped in. The water lapped refreshingly over his feet, providing a welcome relief from the summer heat. Lia went ahead, her feet splashing in the water. Dragonflies buzzed around them and Tim spotted a pretty white flower in the grass.

"I'll get it!" Jay declared, putting his camera away.

Tadpoles were tickling his toes and Tim couldn't help but giggle. It was then that he realized how precious that moment was. It was one of the few times in his life in which he had felt happy.

"So, what do you think this Dinar Frosh will be like?" Jessica started off the conversation.

"I don't care as long as she's someone nice," said Jay.

Brian punched Jay playfully in the side. "But when you make a prediction, the opposite usually turns out to be true."

"Yeah, I bet she'll be an old witch with long, matted hair and only one tooth! And she probably cooks children in the basement!" Lia added.

"And her house will be made of gingerbread and cookies!"

Lia nodded. "Then we can rescue Hansel and Gretel and Tim will just eat the whole house, get fat and round and crush the old hag! Then we'll roll him back to Montgomery!"

They all burst out laughing. Even Tim, who had a wonderful self-deprecating sense of humor, despite his traumatic past.

"Wait, isn't that a house?" Brian interjected.

There was indeed something large looming ahead of them. As they approached, however, they realized it was a tunnel.

"I'll see where it leads to," Lia yelled excitedly, running over to it.

She was out of sight in no time. The walls of the structure were concrete and had strange grooves running across them. Darkness swallowed up all the light and it was impossible to see the other end of the tunnel. Tim was suddenly reminded of the tunnel in Rosswood Park. Alarmed, he shuddered in fear.

"Damn it, Lia, stay outta there!" he yelled.

He began to run in panic. It was more difficult than he had anticipated. Sharp stones pierced the soles of his shoes and he slipped on the algae several times. He eventually reached the tunnel. Lia was standing in front of the tunnel wall looking at a piece of graffiti which had been sprayed with white paint. A crossed circle. Certainty penetrated his heart, as sharp as the blade of a sword. He didn't have to turn around to know what was behind them.

"Tim, there..." his sister whimpered in anguish.

He knew that she had said something else because he saw her mouth moving, but the rest of her words were drowned out by a noise. The familiar cough crept up in his throat and a metallic taste spread throughout his mouth. Pain pierced his temples and white dots danced in front of his eyes. _No, I can't black out now!_ He desperately tried to steady himself, and managed to remain standing for a few seconds. Then his knees buckled under him and he collapsed, gasping for breath. The last thing he heard was a protracted scream.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim reacts badly to what has happened to Lia and Jay, Brian and Jessica have to try to calm him down so they can come up with the best way to proceed.

 

"Tim?"

A distant voice sounded in his ears. He thought it was someone singing to him at first. _Maybe an angel welcoming me into Heaven?_ The voice grew louder, more urgent. Someone was shaking him. _This angel is kind of rude!_ On the other hand...he couldn't remember actually having died. _No, that doesn't make sense. I'm not dead, I'm..._

Tim opened his eyes abruptly. He was laying face down in a puddle, leaves stuck to his cheek. Jay, Brian and Jessica were kneeling beside him with worried expressions on their faces. Groaning, he struggled to his feet, breathing heavily and bending over with his hands braced against the sodden knees of his jeans.

"Are you all right? We heard a scream," Jessica said.

Her words slowly slotted the jigsaw pieces of his memory back into place.

"Where's Lia?" he yelled.

Tim frantically swivelled his head to look in every direction, but his eyes were met only by the gray concrete walls of the tunnel. There was no sign of his sister. He simply closed his eyes in desperation, but he didn't need his gut feeling to tell him that she wouldn't be there when he opened them again. Then the truth dawned on him and the thought of it made him feel sick. The faceless thing had her. Sheer panic came over him and his breathing became labored. He pressed his hand tightly against his chest in an effort to prevent himself from losing consciousness again.

Jay hesitantly put an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, calm down. Everything's gonna be all right."

"All right? That goddamn thing has taken her! Just like it did with me in Entry #64! What if it does the same things to her as it did to me?! She...She won't survive! And her death will be all my fault!" Tim's voice broke into a hysterical laugh.

Someone then grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around so that they were standing face to face. Amber irises glared at him sternly.

"Stop lashing out at us and focus! We will find Lia, but we have to get that page from Dinar Frosh first, otherwise this will all have been for nothing! Maybe she can help us."

Tim could only stare at Brian in shock. He had never experienced this side of his best friend before. This must be the determined and cold-blooded part of him, the part of him which had produced Hoodie.

He shook himself out of his tantrum and nodded. "You're right, let's go. The sooner we get the page, the sooner we find Lia."

 

******

 

The stream through which they had paddled led directly to Walker Street. However, it couldn't really be described as a street. It turned out to be a kind of cul-de-sac with just the one house on it. The gray, bare-stone walls and the cracked windows uncomfortably reminded Tim of the hospital. It was hard to imagine that someone would _choose_ to live in a place like this.

"Ready?" Jay asked.

The others nodded. Jay took a deep breath, lifting the iron door knocker then striking it down three times. The silence was deafening. Tim's heart thumped inside his chest and his nerves were at breaking point. The door finally opened. Tim's expectations at that point had ranged from a younger woman like Jean Creel to the imaginary old witch they had previously joked about. However, he had not been prepared for a little girl with her hair in pigtails. Her eyes resembled two glittering emeralds from which she stared at them suspiciously.

"Is your mom home? We'd like to speak to Dinar Frosh," Jessica explained, leaning down so that she was at eye level with the young girl.

"I am Dinar Frosh. I'm older than I look. Please come in."

They entered the building. Tim didn't even bother to ask why an apparently adult woman had the body of a little girl. He had encountered much stranger things than this in his life. However, Jay already had his mouth open to ask the question. Tim silenced him with a jab to his side.

Dinar Frosh disappeared into another room and came back holding a crumpled piece of paper which was covered in dust. Tim harshly snatched it out of her hand, angered by how little she seemed to have cared for something which belonged to his father.

"Let's go, we have what we need," he said, turning to leave.

Jay looked at him in disbelief. "But what about Lia?" He turned to Dinar. "His sister has been kidnapped by the faceless thing and we really need your help!"

"Maybe you do, but you won't get it. I decided to steer clear of Creeps years ago. The only exception I made was to hold on to this stupid piece of paper for John, and now you have it, I want nothing more to do with this. You're on your own." Her voice was as merciless as a cold winter's day.

 

******

 

"I knew it was pointless," Tim muttered sullenly on the way back from the house.

"At least we have the page," Jay offered, but Tim simply ignored him.

They walked on in silence. Secretly, Tim regretted treating his friend that way because he knew that this wasn't Jay's fault. Tim blamed himself. If only he had run faster. On the other hand, he was also aware that nothing and no one could stop that thing. In the end, it always won.

"Oh my God!"

Tim stared in shock. As they reached the car, it became clear that someone was sitting beside it. If Tim hadn't known it was Lia, he wouldn't have recognized her. Her skin was as pale as the paper in his hand, and deep shadows framed her eyes. Her head was turned to him, but she seemed to be looking through him. She could have played the role of a corpse in a TV crime series. But she wasn't dead. At least, he hoped she wasn't.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim, Jay and Brian take Lia to the hospital.

****Tim felt like he was hovering in some kind of limbo. His mind wiped clean like a blank slate, an endless tide of sheer and all-consuming despair. This feeling had become almost familiar to him by now. It rumbled and then jolted through him. Only with difficulty did he rouse himself from this trance, slowly dragging himself back to reality again.

He could see dark brown locks of hair laying over his lap. Lia felt cold and heavy, like a mannequin. Tim was sitting with her in the back seat while Brian drove them to the hospital in Montgomery. She hadn't regained consciousness at all during the journey. Time was running out and her pulse was becoming weaker with every passing minute. He knew that he shouldn't panic, he couldn't let himself submit to those outstretched arms of fear. He had to try to calm down, to get the upper hand. With short, steady breaths, he tried to control his fear, the way his therapist had once taught him. _In and out. In and out. Calm down._

"We're here."

Brian's voice seemed to act as a trigger to Tim. In a flash, he lifted Lia out of the car. He carried her in his arms, trembling with dread. Her head fell back and she was staring upwards blankly, as if her life had already been extinguished. Jay was running beside him and Tim hoped that he would keep his mouth shut. He had already expressed concern about whether it would be a good idea to take her to a hospital. After all, it was doubtful that they specialized in monster attacks. If Tim hadn't been so preoccupied with worry, he would have strangled Jay.

 

******

 

After they had arrived at the hospital with Lia, a team of doctors rushed her into the emergency room. About an hour later, Tim was waiting outside the hospital room. He jumped up as soon as the doctor stepped through the door, like he had been bitten by a tarantula.

"I'm Dr Jennings. Your sister is awake. You may go in and see her now."

As he hastily reached for the door, a hand held him back. Fingernails painted with red nail polish dug into his forearm. The woman's expression was as dark as a thunderstorm.

"The girl went into catatonic shock and was stone cold! Another few minutes and she'd have died! What did you do to her?"

Something bubbled up inside Tim, like water just before it reaches boiling point. Heat rose from his stomach to his chest. It was taking him all his strength to keep his anger suppressed. Eventually, he exhaled through gritted teeth and unloaded all his rage on her.

"I'm her brother and I would _never_ ever hurt her! She was like that when we found her! Ask my friends if you don't believe me! So if you spread any bullshit about me, I _will_ find you and you'll wish you were in Hell, because that'd be _nothing_ compared to what I'll do to you!" His voice was as sharp as shrapnel.

Without another word, he yanked open the door and entered the room. Lia was in the bed. She looked so tired and weak, as if she could break at any moment.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice sounding as rough as sandpaper.

Tim sat down gently beside her on the edge of the bed. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should've..."

"Don't you want to know what happened?"

Her question surprised him so much that he was stunned into silence for a few seconds. Taken aback, he nodded. Lia beckoned him closer, as if she were about to whisper something in his ear. But instead, she took his face in her hands. He felt a force hit him and he was suddenly no longer in the hospital room.

 

******

 

He knelt on the ground, breathing hard. Leaves were stuck to the palms of his hands. There was nothing but darkness and the silhouettes of the trees around him. One of them started to move towards him, and the closer it got, the more he realized that it was not a tree. No, it was _that thing_ and it was heading straight for him. Panicking, he struggled to his feet, stumbling in the opposite direction yet running straight into the faceless thing. Its bony fingers grabbed him and held him in its iron grip. Static filled his ears, with voices mingled in with it.

"We hate you!"

"We hate you!"

"We hate you!"

Over and over again, like a broken record. It got to the point where he could no longer stand it.

"Mommy, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be a bad girl!"

His voice sounded high-pitched and childlike. It was not his own.

 

******

 

Breathing heavily, Tim came back to himself again. He looked at Lia, stunned. And in that moment, he realized that he had seen through her eyes. He had seen what that thing had done to her. But how was that possible? Unless...her Creep powers had been awakened.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Janet meet up to discuss Tim.

 

John Wright was sitting in a small café on the outskirts of Montgomery, out of the way of the crowds of shoppers. He ran his sweaty hand through his hair and tried to focus on the shabby wallpaper. The color — probably originally a pretty mocha brown — had yellowed over the years and condensation had swelled the material. The bubbles in the paper made it look as if something was behind it, just waiting to break through at any moment.

John looked at the barista, who was busy making a floral pattern in the frothy milk of a cup of hot chocolate, and imagined her jumping up and screaming as abnormal reptilian creatures freed themselves from their wallpaper prison. The funny idea would have made him laugh had the door not opened at that very moment and the reason for his being there entered. Janet sat down opposite him and the expression on her face could have rivalled that of a statue.

"We need to talk."

He nodded with feigned nonchalance. "You already said that on the phone."

She took a deep breath and her bosom heaved under her tight blouse. Unusually, the gold chain she normally wore around her neck was missing, giving a clear view of her cleavage. John had to make a conscious effort to avert his eyes away. He was struggling not to think about the many times he had caressed her naked breasts. He had only just managed it when the waitress came over to take their order.

"Just a coffee," he answered when asked what he wanted.

Two minutes later, two steaming cups of coffee were placed on the table. Janet pulled hers towards herself. A latte macchiato with two spoonfuls of sugar and dash of milk. Exactly a dash — no more, no less. He used to love this extraordinary aroma, but now it just annoyed him.

"So, what exactly _is_ Timothy?" she asked. Her voice betrayed no emotion.

"A human being."

Janet snorted and grimaced. "Is he? Then why did I have to give birth to him alone in the woods? Why does he have all those seizures and then get violent afterwards? Why was he always talking about this 'Masky'? Why does he wear a mask? I don't think a normal person would just develop a split personality! How did he destroy your living room using only the power of his mind during our last conversation?"

John slammed his fist down on the table, he was shaking with anger. His veins throbbed and fury raged in his stomach. "Why should I explain it to you? You'll just think I'm crazy and run away."

The brunette buried her face in her hands and he thought he saw tears glistening through her fingers. "I just want to know what's going on with our son."

"Timothy is a Creepypasta, or a Creep for short. It's because of a gene he inherited from me. Every Creep has special powers. There are cannibals, vengeful spirits or enchanted beings who have become evil and killed everything in their path. Some people become a Creep because a traumatic event has activated a gland in the brain which releases this gene. Every one of them has a story. You can read many of them on the Internet. I personally recommend _Jeff The Killer_ , _Ben Drowned_ or _Ticci Toby_. It may sound ridiculous, but you'd be better off not meeting them in person. And that's the truth, whether you believe me or not. Do you know that moment when you look out of the window in the evening and think you see a shadow? Maybe it's not an animal, but a Creep looking for its next victim, wanting to bring the world into chaos in its own way, if only for short time."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim prepares himself to go home to his father and face the music, but gets more than he bargained for.

****It felt to Tim like his body weighed a ton. He could feel the realization seeping into his mind, like sand through an hourglass. Disillusioned, he looked at Lia. His dark-haired sister with chocolate brown eyes so similar to his own, and the same thick eyebrows he also possessed. She was a part of him. And now that her powers had been awakened, what would happen to her next? A second personality? After all, his own personality had split so he would be able to cope with the horror of the faceless thing. He must have infected her with the sickness. This happened to anyone who got close to him, it was inevitable.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Lia said between two coughs, which only served to confirm his suspicions.

"Wait," Tim said, hastily fishing the orange plastic bottle out of his jacket pocket.

The rattle of the contents and the twisting motion required to remove the cap were so familiar to him. A bottle of pills was one of the few constants in his life he had been able to cling to. Then he watched as Lia swallowed the pill with a drink of water. Finally, he did something so completely out of character that it surprised even himself. He wrapped his arms around his sister and pressed her to his chest. At the same time he placed kisses on the crown of her head, as if he was committing himself to her.

"You are the rudest, most impertinent, most impossible, bravest and best sister anyone could possibly have and I love you. But I really feel like kicking your ass sometimes!" he whispered, vaguely registering the wet tracks running down his cheeks.

Lia snuggled against the hollow between his neck and shoulder. "I love you too, Timmy."

 

******

 

Apparently, he was going through a really stubborn streak of bad luck, because his father was already waiting for them when they got home. Not that his presence there was unusual. What _was_ unusual was his calm demeanor. Tim had expected him to be anything but calm when they did finally walk through the door. He had desperately gone over various scenarios in his head on the way back. They had ranged from being yelled at to being bricked up in the basement. Instead, John Wright was simply sitting at the kitchen table, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.

"You decided to come back then." His voice was monotonous and his facial expression betrayed no emotion.

"I'm sorry, Mr Wright. We went on a trip and completely forgot to let you know," Jay intervened, in an apparent attempt to salvage the situation.

"A trip which ended with Lia being attacked by the faceless creature and hospitalized?" Seeing Jay's confusion, he added, "I'm not stupid. The SCP has a handy little program for locating cell phones. By the way, Tim, we have to talk."

His heart sank. This was it. He was going to receive a life sentence, provided his father didn't kill him first.

 

******

 

They went into the bedroom. Tim sat down on his bed and nervously chewed his lower lip. His stomach seemed to have somehow literally tied itself in knots, because he couldn't think of another explanation for the immense pain in his abdomen.

"Dad, I...I never meant for that to happen." It took a lot of effort to get the words past the lump in his throat.

Mr Wright sighed. "I know why you went on that journey. You want to find out the truth and I can't stop you from doing that. You were looking for the pages, weren't you?"

A mixture of relief and remorse flooded into Tim's heart. All he could do was nod.

"You're probably disappointed that I'm sending you on a scavenger hunt instead of telling you straight to your face. But I'm not the big, omniscient hero Lia thinks I am. I'm a coward. That's why I want you to promise me something, Timothy."

Tim raised his head. If he was being addressed by his full name, it meant something really serious was about to be discussed.

"That you'll continue your search for the remaining pages. If you find them all, I'll explain everything to you. I just don't want you to hate me and think my actions were malicious. There is no excuse for what I did, but I was unaware of the consequences at the time. I want you to know that I've regretted it every day since then. And I want you to know that I love you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim confides in his father about his nightmares.

****John entered the bedroom as quietly as he could. The door hinges squeaked, but not loudly enough to wake the sleeping man. He breathed a sigh of relief and carefully sat down on the bed. The mattress dipped beneath his weight. Smiling, he looked down at his son. Tim looked like an angel. His black hair descended to meet his evenly arched eyebrows and curled up very slightly at the ends. His eyelids with their long, full lashes were closed. The way his nose twitched occasionally reminded John of a rabbit.

Melancholically, John thought back to the day he had held him as a little baby in his arms. He had grown to be a fine young man. However, this tranquil moment was disturbed when Tim began to moan. Wrinkles formed on his forehead and he started to thrash his head wildly from side to side.

"Mom, no...Don't lock me in! I'm sorry, Mommy! Oh, God! It's right there! It's right there! It's right there!"

John grabbed his son's wrists and pinned his arms down on the bed to his sides. Tim suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils wide with terror.

"Hey, it's just a nightmare. Calm down."

Tim sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then he sat up.

"Do you mind if I ask what you were dreaming about?" his father asked.

He sighed. "The usual. Mom used to lock me up in the big closet sometimes if I...well, you know. And then I would sit there in the darkness and that thing would come. I don't know how, but it would just appear in the closet! I always blacked out so I don't know what it did to me. God, I have absolutely no idea what it wants from me. Why is it stalking me?"

John pressed his lips together. A dull pain spread through his chest. Yes, he did know about the motivations of the faceless thing, but Tim couldn't be allowed to know this. Not yet.

 

******

 

After a long shower and a close shave, Tim felt better. It was five in the morning, a time when he would usually still be asleep, but the nightmare and his growling stomach had put paid to that. And just for the hell of it, he made both scrambled eggs and pancakes. He felt someone hugging him from behind.

"That's a weird combo," Lia said, eyeing the cluttered plate.

Tim sat down at the table with a shrug. "Shouldn't you still be in bed?"

Lia sat on a stool, her legs dangling down. "I couldn't sleep. And besides, the food smelled so delicious. I think I'll have some of that stuff too." She enthusiastically grabbed the pan.

They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Tim just couldn't get that nightmare out of his head. He didn't know what his sister was thinking about, until she retrieved something from her pants pocket. It was creased from its many folds and slightly yellowed at the corners.

"I thought we should finally take a look at Dinar Frosh's page."

The touch of annoyance he felt that she had just taken the page from him faded immediately. He eagerly unfolded the piece of paper and place it in front of him.

 

> **Janet is sick. She's getting worse by the day and the doctors just don't know what's causing it. She doesn't show it, but I know how much it bothers her. I've visited every faith healer in the state, but they were all frauds. My hope is slowly fading and my fear is increasing. What if something happens to the baby? Some people have said it would be better to deliver it early, but I think it's too soon. It wouldn't survive, and Janet wants to keep it. If we don't find a solution soon, I think I'll have to resort to some drastic measures. I don't care if it goes against my morals!**

 

Tim felt as if the world he knew had been smashed by a sledgehammer. What the hell had his father done?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim makes a shocking discovery about his father.

 

Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity to Tim. He was still just standing there, his eyes fixed on the piece of paper without really seeing it. He only vaguely perceived the constant ticking of the grandfather clock. There was chaos in his mind. He wanted to run to his father, to put his hands around his throat and force him to reveal everything. But at the same time, he just wanted to curl up on the floor. His trembling hands were clenched into fists. In that moment of despair and hopelessness, Lia was there for him. She hugged him, nestling her head against his shoulder, giving him warmth and comfort.

"Everything's gonna be all right, everything's gonna be all right. We can get through this," she whispered over and over again.

Tim buried his nose in her hair. A fresh but bitter aroma clung to her, which reminded him of lemongrass. He felt more bodies press against him. Jay, Brian and Jessica had appeared out of nowhere and joined in with the embrace. A wave of affection seemed to emanate from each and every one of them. Tim stiffened for a moment. He had never experienced so much love directed towards him his whole life. His eyes started to sting and his knees weakened as his shocked mind tried to process what was happening. But before it could complete its task, Tim broke away from them. Breathing heavily, he struggled to keep his composure.

"Sorry, I need to get some air," he apologized hastily. Then he ran out of the house.

Cool morning fog dampened his skin and helped calm his nerves. The sudden outpouring of emotion had just been too much for him to handle. He wasn't used to being treated that way. His childhood had been filled with blame and punishment. Sighing, he sat down on a nearby tree stump and took out a pack of cigarettes. He shook one loose and clicked the lighter into life. He appreciatively sucked the smoke into his lungs. Feeling completely relaxed and free of any thoughts, he exhaled a small cloud of smoke. He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard the cracking of branches behind him. Tim didn't need to turn around to know who was approaching.

"Leave me alone, Jay!" he snapped, stubbing out his cigarette on the tree stump.

Jay scratched his head. "I thought maybe we could talk."

"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?"

An annoyed Tim got up and began to walk away. As expected, Jay followed him. He kept trying to speak to him. Tim tuned Jay's voice out and stomped further into the forest. The words "please listen", "stop" and "I'm sorry" passed him by. Yet the torrent of words continued. At one point he whirled around abruptly and knocked Jay with his arm. Jay stumbled three steps and then fell over. Tim ran to him concerned.

"Are you hurt?"

Jay scrambled to his feet. "Nah, I'm all right. I just got my foot caught in that stupid hole." He pointed to a depression in the ground. It had been dug out and covered with leaves. It looked too neat for a mouse to have burrowed it. Tim reached in and his fingers felt something hard. Confused, he pulled out a small wooden box. It opened easily and a pile of papers fell out. He unfolded the first one.

 

> **I couldn't see any other solution. I made a deal with him.**

 

On the others there were only confused scribblings or things like "NO". These were the last of his father's pages. He staggered to his feet, storming into the house and then the bedroom. His father jumped up from his chair as the door was violently flung open, causing it to slam against the wall.

"What did you do?"

John Wright's shoulders slumped. "I take it you have found the remaining pages, earlier than I would have liked. Well, here's the truth. Your mother was very sick. Absolutely nothing or no one could help her and I thought she was going to die. I almost went out of my mind. Then one day, this man appeared. No, he wasn't really a man. He was huge, he wore a suit and had no face. Yeah, that thing. And he offered me a deal. He would heal your mother if I promised him something. You."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim struggles to cope with what he has learned about his father, and his subsequent impulsive actions have devastating consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground

 

Tim flinched as if someone had struck him. The truth hit him like the crack of a whip. What he really wanted to do was yell to his father, "How dare you sell me — your own _son_ — to that thing?! How could you just destroy my life before it had even started?! How can you sleep at night with the knowledge of having damned your child on your conscience?!" But all he managed was a pathetic "What?"

His father rubbed his face, and if Tim had not been so overwhelmed with emotion, he might have noticed the tear running down from the corner of his eye. "I didn't know what it was back then and to be honest, I just didn't care. All I cared about was saving your mother's life, understand? A short time later, I found out the truth about the faceless thing in the archives of the SCP Foundation. I immediately regretted my decision and vowed to do everything I could to reverse the deal! I know I made a terrible mistake and I have no excuses for that, but I know you can defeat it!"

Tim just shook his head in disbelief. His throat felt tight and his heart ached so much that it felt like someone must have stuck a knife into it. Hot salty tears blinded him and a stifled sob escaped from his lips. His father, the man whom he thought he could trust, the man whom he thought he could always rely on, had betrayed him. And in the most underhand and cowardly way imaginable. At the same time, he wondered why he was shocked by it at all. He had been let down so many times, he should have gotten used to it by now. He ran from the room with a desperate scream.

Jay, Brian and Jessica had heard the commotion and gathered expectantly in the living room. Their anxious expressions only served to make Tim even angrier. He didn't want their pity. Without even glancing at them, he ran straight to his bedroom. Hastily and with his knuckles white with rage, he dragged his bag out from under the bed. He blindly threw in everything he could find. Pants, shirts, his cell phone, a comb and his wallet landed in the bag in a disorganized heap. Then he noticed the mask at the bottom of the closet.

_"Oh, come on. Did you really think your life had changed for the better? Are you really so naïve?"_

Breathing heavily, he put his hands to his head and dug his fingers into his own hair. If he didn't pull himself together soon, Masky would take over and then God knows what would happen.

"Stay away from me!" he hissed to the voice in his head, putting his bag over his shoulder.

The others stared blankly at him as he went back into the living room.

"I'm leaving!" Tim announced. "Who's coming with me?"

Jay awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other, Brian uncomfortably scratched his neck and Jessica guiltily lowered her head.

"Tim," Brian eventually said, "I understand that you're hurting right now. But maybe you should try to think of a way to fix this before you just take off."

A manic laugh emerged from Tim's throat. _Oh, great. Now my best friend's turning against me?_

"Fine, whatever," he said. "But I'm taking Lia with me!"

Naturally, his sister did not react enthusiastically when he stormed into her room, ripped out her earphones and ordered her to pack her things. He ignored her screams and insults. Then he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the house, shoving her roughly into the car. Nobody tried to stop him.

 

******

 

"This is kidnapping. You do know that, right?" Lia said from the passenger seat, sticking out her chin provocatively.

Tim snorted. "I'm your brother."

"You still took me away against my will. And you haven't even told me why. I know you've had some sort of fight with Dad, but what was it all about? Why are you running away from him?"

He couldn't be bothered going over it all again. He would explain everything to her later. Exhausted, he looked at his hands which were clutching the steering wheel. The marks where Lia's teeth had bitten into them were encrusted with blood and still painful.

When they arrived at the hotel, he shoved his sister down on the bed, sat on her chest and searched for his zip ties. Lia struggled in an attempt to overpower him. She angrily started kicking her legs, but made contact with nothing but air.

"Let me go! Let me go, you bastard!"

"Shut your mouth!"

With difficulty, he managed to secure her arms to the bedposts and tie her legs together. Finally, he rolled up one of her T-shirts and stuffed it into her mouth. She glared at him accusingly.

"It's for your own good. I don't want you to run away. I love you," Tim mumbled.

He kissed her on the forehead, but she turned her head to one side defensively. Then he walked out of the room and locked the door.

 

******

 

"That'll be sixteen dollars and ninety-nine cents," the cashier said after scanning two packs of bottled water, a pile of bags of jerky and a dozen cans of peanuts.

Tim had bought their whole food supply. He planned to get back on the road soon so nobody would find Lia. The food in the hotel was too expensive and he needed money for gas. He had just happened to come across the convenience store by chance. Tim handed over a few crumpled bills and packed up his shopping.

 

******

 

"Lia, I'm back. I bought some stuff," he called into the room.

Then he froze. Lia was no longer tied up on the bed. He dropped everything he was carrying and sprinted across the room. His sister wasn't far from where he had left her. The zip ties were hanging shredded from her wrists and the T-shirt he had used as a gag was now a dark, wet ball on the floor. But it was something else that sickened him to his core. There was a huge hole in the back of her head. Some white splinters of skull were visible in the void. Blood and a grayish mass — which was probably brain — were leaking out from the wound. Blood and strands of dark hair clung to the sharp corner of the nightstand next to where she lay.

Lia Wright was dead.

 


	31. Chapter 31 - Final Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did!
> 
> Thank you, Landriel. It was a pleasure to translate your work.
> 
> Translation of Marble Hornets - Falling To The Ground by Landriel.
> 
> The original in German can be found here:  
> https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/56757f750004e256368bcfa7/1/Marble-Hornets-Falling-to-the-ground

Apparently, hearts could literally break, because it felt to Tim like something inside his chest had shattered into a thousand pieces. The bag of groceries still lay forgotten in front of the hotel room door, he was not aware he had dropped it. The only thing he could think about was Lia. He held her face in his trembling hands, a peaceful smile was playing across her lips. She would have looked like she was sleeping, had it not been for all the blood soaking through her hair and clothes.

"No, no, no!" The words exploded out of him.

_No, it couldn't be real! She couldn't be dead!_

Teardrops fell on Lia's pale forehead, and only then did he realize he was crying. Sobbing, he clutched her lifeless body to him, as if it could fix his broken mind. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there clinging to his sister's dead body when he felt a sudden rush of air. Shaking, Tim straightened up and looked at the faceless man who had materialized in the middle of the room.

"What do you want?" he hissed.

A voice sounded in his head. It sounded casual and calm, but there was a menacing undertone.

_"Yes, I can speak. But you're only hearing me for the first time. I want to tell you that I can revive your sister, but I want something in return for that. You. I want you to serve me, to do the things that the laws of your dimension forbid me to do in my current form. You will remain immortal and invulnerable as long as you serve me and Lia will return as if nothing had ever happened. All you have to do is say yes."_

Tim backed away. "Wait a minute. Why are you doing this? And why did my friends have to suffer?"

A laugh rang in Tim's head.

_"To determine which of you is the strongest. I had always had plans for you, but during your college years, you somehow managed to shield yourself from my influence. Then Alex came along. A young man with so much anger! I couldn't possibly let his potential go to waste, so I gave him a little encouragement. But he became too aggressive, too uncontrollable. Finally, your friend Brian was simply an obstruction to me, so I took him into my world, drove his mind into the abyss of madness. Unfortunately, he just became an irritating troublemaker hiding behind a mask. In one last attempt, I pitted them against each other until they all ended up dead. You were supposed to be the only one left, broken and willing to follow me. But your reunion with your sister interfered in my plans. This is the reason I resurrected your friends, to help you discover your father's secret. Just as I expected, you became consumed with anger, lost your mind completely and did everything you could to get away from the man who had betrayed you so painfully. And now here we are."_

Tim felt his legs buckle under him. Everything they had experienced together had only served to push him further into the clutches of this thing. A cold fist of fear clenched in his stomach. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in, pushing him further towards his enemy. Could he really do this? Join forces with the one who had tormented him all his life? But he had already made the decision. His sister's life was simply more important than his own well-being.

He mustered up all his courage. "I will work for you, but I have some conditions. You must leave Lia and my friends alone! They must not be harmed by other Creeps! And I want twenty-four hours to say goodbye to everyone!"

The thing tilted its head. _"Unlike humans, I keep my promises. Will you serve me now?"_

"Yes, I will."

Tim felt a force pulling him. It felt like his guts were being drawn out and squeezed back in again. He closed his eyes, waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. When he opened them again, he was no longer in the hotel room. The white plastered walls had been replaced by towering coniferous trees. A cool wind blew his hair back from his forehead and he shivered slightly. For some illogical reason, nightfall seemed to be approaching already because everything was now bathed in a dark gray hue. As if he were being pulled by strings, Tim was suddenly jerked around. Now he was facing the faceless man.

 

_"Timothy, repeat after me:_

_I will follow my master,_

_I will worship and respect him,_

_I will do as he commands,_

_I will give up my old life,_

_I will renounce my agency._

_I am your slave, and forever will be!"_

 

The words left his mouth without him even realizing it. A shudder passed over him, along with the knowledge that he had sealed his fate for all eternity. Tim wanted to turn away, but his body was being forcibly held upright and in position. A black tentacle shot out from the back of the thing and pierced directly into his heart. Screams of agony tore through the silence.

_"I have carved my symbol into your heart. You now truly are my proxy."_

 

******

 

John Wright sat on his porch, lost in thought. Would Tim ever forgive him? Where was he right now? Was he taking good care of Lia? He should have just been honest with him from the start. Instead, his own cowardice and recklessness had destroyed everything. How could he have ever believed that there would be a right time? He was nothing but a naïve fool. A car door slammed and John winced at the unexpected sound. His eyes widened as he saw his son running towards him. Tim threw his arms around him and almost crushed him. He buried his head in his chest and sobbed.

"Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry! I've made a terrible mistake!"

 

 

**THE END**

 

 

 


End file.
